Knights of the Old Republic: The Mandalorian Wars
by Shealla
Summary: An average padawan from the jedi order will be thrown in one of the greatest wars in her age. A novelization of the pre-mandalorian kotor heroes and their progress during the war itself.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author declaration: I do not own Star Wrs or any of it's characters.  
**_

_**Chapter One:Prologue**_

The republic cruiser came out from lightspeed overlooking the capital world. The ship was returning from the skirmishes the Republic was having with the mandalorian clans around the Outher Rim. There were scars and marks from turbolaser fire all over the hull. The captain took a look at his first leutenant and told her:

-"Notify Master Kavar that we have reached Coruscant and we will be docking in a few minutes, also he can open a private channel with the Jedi Temple if he wishes to contact them!"

The leutenant noded and activated the ship's intercom:

-"Master Kavar, we have reached Coruscant and we will be docking in a few minutes, the captain also said that if you have urgent business with the Jedi you can use a private channel to contact them!"

-"Appreciated Leutenant!"-said a figure of a man in his late thirties on the small holoprojector. The man was covered with a light robe and people could barely see his ightsabers strapped on both of his sides. He noded to her and turned his attention towards the Captain: -"Captain, I would like you to secure a transport when we reach the surface! And I won't be coming with you to see high command, I will make my report and I would appreciated it if you deliver it for me to the admiralty!"-he finished.

The captain raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on this sudden notification:

-"Of course Master Kavar! Now like my leutenant said, I remember that the Jedi Council had something important to discuss with you, otherwise I doubt that they would have send another Master to take your place, so if you wish to use a secure and private frequency it will be so!"

The Jedi master bowed lightly and dissappeared from the holoprojector. The leutenant turned her head around to look at the captain. His expression had turned dark and concentrated.

-"Sir! Do you think the Mandalorians are preparing for a full scale invasion and war with us?"-she asked concerned. So far the Mandalorian Clans were raiding small planets and colonies outside republic space, but they were geting closer and closer each time. High command and the Senate were not taking any action, but everyone in the fleet that was stationed along the borders was starting to see a pattern in their attacks and movement. Some of the smaller patrol fleets were already having constant dog fights with them for the past few months. Also rumors of their brutality and effective colonisations and occupations of the nonrepublic worlds near the borders they have been attacking the past few years were already spreading towars the core worlds and the people were geting restless.

The captain blinked coming out of his stupor and looked at her:

-"I do not think it leutenant, I know it!"-he said. -"When they attack I just hope we are ready for them, I fought in the last war with this Exar Kun or whatever his name was, and if they are as half as dangerous as his followers were, we may not make it this time. I just hate it how scared High Command is! They do not want to admit that there may be another war, and so soon after the last one, don't get me whrong, I too am praying that this is nothing serious but still, it won't do us any harm to reinforce our borders with a few hundred thousand dreadnoughts!"

The leutenant's eyes popped wide open:

-"But sir! It will be suicide to attack the Republic, we must be outnumbering their fleet around fifteen to one."-she said unbelivingly.

The Captain let out a small unamused laugh:

-"Girl, we may have the numbers but they have expirience. The mandalorians fight almost from birth. I hate to say it but our army is filled with greenhorns and people without any actual combat experience. The mandies on the other hand live for the fight, it's their religion, and beeing at war with the Outher Rim worlds for the past twenty years is just adding to their might. Noo! If they go to war there is eighty percent chance they will win it if we don't start preparing when we still have the chance!"-he finished.

The whole crew on the deck was silent, noone thought the Caprain a coward for speaking that way, they had all fought under his command and in all their skirmishes with pirates and even a few small battles with the mandalorians since Master Kavar had taken charge of the fleet the cruiser was assigned to, they were one of the few ships which had suffered minimum casualties in these fights. If he said things were looking grim, then they were all in big trouble. The ship started entering the atmosphere of the planet-city which was the capital world of the Republic and everyone returned to momitoring their stations.

**Meanwhile in Master Kavvar's bunk:**

Kavar turned off his holocomunicator and used the private and secured line the captain had given him to contact the Jedi Temple on the large holoprojector in his room. He used a direct connection with the Jedi Council and not five seconds later five figures seated in comfortable chairs positioned in a circle in a large room appeared before him. There were two humans a bald male around his fifties and a middle aged female, a female togruta he did not recognise, one male twi'lek and a male zabrak.

-"Good day Masters!"- he greeted them with a respectfull bow. He took a long look at each one of them: -"I see the that the empty council seat has finaly been filled."-he noded towards the togruta, she noded in return. -"I must say that I was very surprised when your summons reached me, it was a good coincidence that I was already on my way back when I met the courier."

-"We both know there is no such thing as luck or coincidences, there is only the Force, and it seems like she thinks as us if you were finaly returning from your "Adventures!" -said the bald human.

-"I see you are in high spirits just as ever Master Lamar!" -Kavar said with a small grin. The bald master looked like a thunderstorm and was about to say something when the twi'lek intervined:

-"Please excuse him Kavar, master Vrook has been under a lot of pressure lately, one of our padawans on Dantoine is showing learning abilities and power in the force we have not seen ever since Exar Kun and Ulic Quel'Droma, he even may have more potential than either one of them."- the news surprised him a big deal.

-"Please continue Master Zhar! You peaked my curiosity!"- he said. But the twi'lek waved a hand and continued:

-"I am sorry but this is not something we must discuss over the holocomunicator. We have contacted you because we have a small, or big , proglem with another padawan here on Coruscant."-the twi'lek said and the other masters shared sneaky looks among each other, which didn't escape Kavar the slightest.

-"Oh? What kind of problem?"-he asked warily. The masters were acting too secretivly even by his standarts, it was the first time he had seen them so cryptic while talking to another Council member. He was surprised when the togruta master spoke - he had almost forgoten she was there:

-"It conserns a padawan that you brought for training a few years ago, we require your presence in the Jedi Temple, only then we will speak more about this topic." -Then the holo-connection was cut off. Kavar blinked twice not sure what had jsut happened. Then he heard trough the ship's comlink that they were about to dock, and headed towars the airlocks with the rest of the crew which were heading towars some well deserved shore-leave.

**After an hour and a half, in the Jedi Temple:**

Kavar felt strange. Not because he had been away a long time, but because the young jedis were looking at him with strange expresions, "almost with admiration" he thought. The masters were even stranger, some were giving him displeased looks, others approving. It felt like they knew something he himself didn't know. He decided that it wasn't something he needed to waste his time with and hurryed towars the lifts leading to the council room. On his way he passed a large training room and suddenly stoped. There were two masters in the room, a kiffar and a bith, along with them were seven padawans(judging by their robes). A ravenhaired girl with a ponytail around her fifteens was fighting a miraluka boy with training sabers. The girl was attacking her opponent with fast vertical and horisontal swipes. "_Hmm basic attacks with the Shii-Cho_"-he thought. She continued with a flurry of more aggresive swings from all sides and made him pull back a litle from his position. All of a sudden she lunged her sword at his wrists and the boy barely reacted in time and jumped backwards away from her. Kavar was startled -"_That was Cho-Sun"-_ this girl had potential, even some of the older masters couldn't execute properly this move after such a fierce flurry of blows she had performed a second ago. The girl took a deep breath and moved her right leg in-front of her, then she grabed her sword with both hands and raised it verticaly at the same height as left shoulder - blade pointing forward- a small grin appearing on her face, while her concentration remaining unwavering. Kavar's eyes almost popped out from their orbits. "_I can not belive my eyes, did this young padawan just took the Juyo stance?"_ -he was baffled noticing that the masters were surprised to say the least just as him. He decided that this fight was going to be worth watching until the end. He also noticed that the padawan's position wasn't very good. -"_Well, atleast she won't be taking the title of best swordmaster in the order today"_. It seemed that this padawan was not very expirienced in Juyo, maybe she had started practicing it a few weeks ago, or even less, it was certain that she wasn't learning it from a master because beside him the only other master in the order that was fluent in Juyo was Zek-Kai Ell, and he was training padawans on Corelia for a couple of years now. And Zek-Kai Ell hadn't even mastered the form compleately, unlike Kavar who was one of the few in the order that had ever mastered it. The jedi didn't use this form mostly because of the danger it posed on the wielder. The miraluka padawan was confused by her deminior -and no wonder, Juyo was a master-level combat form which even most masters never tried teaching their padawans. He took a Soresu defensive form and moved closer to her. "_That was a mistake. Soresu provides superb deffence but only when you have atleast a hint for your opponent's attack patterns"-_Kavar though, but he coudn't blame the boy. When faced with an unknown, most people used their favorite and best trained techniques. In the boy's case that must have been the Soresu. Just then the miraluka padawan reached her saber range and the girl lashed towards him with a series of chaotic swings. The boy found himself unable to cope with her fast and erratic swinging and soon began to sweat and breathe more heavily with each strike he blocked. Begining to fall back more and more. Kavar noticed that the ponitailed padawan was geting tired even faster than her opponent. Then suddenly the girl made a barrel-roll over him, deciding to finish this as quickly as possible, landing behind him and hiting him in the back ending the duel. The other padawans started cheering and applauding her, while the masters seemed very displeased. The girl had great potential. With a proper teacher she could become a great swordmaster -Kavar thought. The strange thing was that he almost didn't sense any use of the Force coming from her during the battle, and that was curious because mastering Juyo required stong concentration and focus in It. Finaly he decided that this was his que to leave. Kavar didn't want to make the other council members wait for him any longer, and being glad that he was able to see something interesting today he headed towards the lifts. Activativating the lift, he leaned on his back and started admiring the scene. Countless speeders and transport ships were buzzing over the never-sleeping world that was Coruscant. He even spotted in low orbit a few departing battleships. Having spent a whole year in the outer rims he had forgotten the feeling of being swarmed by all the life-force on this planet, the hurricane of neverending life. He reached the top part of the temple and headed towards the council room. When he entered it he was greeted only by Zhar, Vrook and the togruta-the new council member. Kavar bowed to them and they nodded in return. Then he took his seat in the room:

-"Now Masters! What is this problematic padawan you spoke of? And this other student on Dantoine? And don't tell me you had send for me only because of a few padawans! I know you must have questions about my confrontations with the Mandalorians in the outer rim worlds. Now noone can spy on us so we can speak freely."-he finished. The masters shared a look and then Vrook spoke:

-"The problematic padawan we spoke of is Meetra Surik, the very same you brough from the outer rim ten years ago." - Kavar raised a brow. :-"We do not know what to think about her. Her connection in the force is below avarage. She is impulsive and seems only to care about battle involved subjects. She has been with a few masters so far, but all of them do not wish to continue her training. The worst thing is that the padawans at her age are trying to act like her. She meets with new faces and they become friends almost instantly. Even some of the knights are interested in her training duels and divert from their duties to watch her fight, and even sparr with her. But that is not the bigest problem. As I said -she lacks mind discipline and always fails at the more advanced force techniques we try to teach her. She doesn't go without attention anywhere she goes. So we have decided that since you were the one that brought her in the order you should try teaching her in our ways." -Kavar was speechless. He raised a hand and tried speaking but Zhar stoped him:

-"Now Master Kavar, please atleast consider this! You are the only council member, heck even as a regular master that hasn't chosen a padawn for himself. It is true that we allow and even encourage the padawans to study with many and different masters but you do not accept even temporary students anymore. And given your talents in combat, and interest in participating in battle conflicts, we belive you may be the perfect teacher for her."-he said with a calm voice.

Kavar was at a loss. It was true that he had never taken a padawan for more than a few months, and the reacent years even for that long. Starting thinking about his options he took a quick look at the Jedi Masters which were staring at him with steel determination. It seemed that they were not going to relent in this matter:

-"Can you show me this padawan? I remember the name but I do not recall her."-he asked them, giving up. The togruta noded and clicked a button. A ravenhaired girl with long hair around her fifteens appeared on the holoscreen. Kavar was surprised to see that it was the verry smae girl he had watched spar in the training room a few minutes ago.

-"This is her?" -he asked. The masters noded. -"Interesting!? I think the force is realy at work here this day." -he said not very loud.

-"What do you mean by that Master Kavar?" -asked Vrook sharply.

-"I just watched this girl duel with an miralukan padawan in training room 523, she was very good, actualy I wanted to ask you about her, of course I had no idea that she will be the topic of our conversation, but I have to ask who is teachign her saber forms? She performed an expert Shii-Cho form than many of the masters i know would have a hard time replicating."-he asked.

-"Her instuctors are the same ones that teach the other padawans. Knights mostly and from time to time masters teach them. Why do you ask?"-Zhar asked and Kavar felt a small feeling of curiosity arising in him.

-"Because she wielded that form perfectly, like a master! And she finished her opponent with a verry sloppy and begginer style Juyo-but Juyo non-the-less!"-he told them. The masters shared fast looks amongs them. -"And if I am not mistaken the only masters who wield that form are Me and Zek-Kai Ell, and he has been far away unless he returned and started training this girl?"

The masters swinged their heads in denial.

-"Are you saying that this padawan, who is by your coments very weak in the force, and has no proper master in combat, is using one of the most advanced and hard to use saber techniques in both Jedi and Sith teachings? Only by watching or reading somewhere about it?" -Kavar was compleately baffled for a second time in one day.

-"We were not aware that she had started practicing advanced combat training."-the togruta spoke. -"Are you certain she was using Juyo? Padawan Surik's connection to the force is very weak."-It seemed the new council member belived that Kavar had just mistaken her moves for Juyo.

-"If Master Kavar is saying that the padawan is using Juyo, then she is using it. After all Kavar is the only jedi from our generation and even for the past fifty generations that has mastered the form almost pefectly. Even master Zek-Kai Ell is no match for him in lightsaber combat and probably even Ulic if he was still alive."- said Zhar. Kavar felt that the new council member was impressed and admired her control for not showing it on her face. -"So! She managed to beat a miraluka padawan with a form she has been studying maximum a week or two? Very impressive indeed, and another reason we belive you will be the perfect teacher for her Master Kavar!" -finished Zhar.

-"The other council members are not present at the moment as you can see but be assured they are all on the same opinion as us. Also we belive that it will be better if you come with your new apprantice on Dantoine." -added Vrook. Kavar turned sharply towars him:

-"Dantoine? Why should we go to Dantoine?" -he asked surprised by the statement Vrook had made.

-"The enclave on Dantoine is much more smaller than this temple, and we belive that the peace and quiet of the farm-planet will do her good. And may even help her improve her meditation." -answered Vrook: -"Me and Zhar must also return to the enclave. We will be traveling with a young jedi knight which is going to work under master Dorak, so we will all be traveling together" -he added.

Kavar calculated the events of this day in his head a few times, then noded to the other masters:

-"I accept this position, but on one condition! I will not be her formal master. If she wishes it so, she will be able choose a master and the other way around, if there is a master that chooses her as his padawan i will not stop him or her." -he said and waited for their answer. The masters were silent for a few moments, then they all shared a look and Vrook spoke:

-"Understood. We leave in two days. You will have time to make your acquaintance with the girl."

-"Then that's finished! Now can you tell me why everyone in the temple is giving me strange looks? Some of the masters were even giving me the "evil eye" if i may say so."-Kavar asked.

Zhar laughed out-loud:

-"Well Master Kavar! You have become quite the legend in the jedi and republic eyes. Your adventures against the pirates in the outer rim are quite popular, and not to speak about your few encounters with the Mandalorian clans. Most of the masters do not approve of your actions because the padawans and many more knights are always discussing your battle prowess and they do not like it. They call you a warmonegerer."-he said with a thin smile on his lips.

-"Aah, so that is what this was all about. But joke aside, I truly belive the Republic will have a big problem if the Mandalorian clans invade its space. I fought with a few mandalorians and I must say that they are exeptional warriors and they never back down. They fight to the last man standing. And I have heard a few unsettling rumors about their leader and his Neo-Crusaders. They even call him Mandalore the Ultimate."-started Kavar but Vrook raised a hand:

-"You will have a chance to speak of your endeavours in the outer rim tomorow. For now this meeting is adjurned. Go rest Master Kavar, tomorow we will have more time to speak about more serious matters."

-"About that padawan you were talking about? The one on Dantoine?"-he asked.

-"Yes, he is just eighteen years old but we are thinking of sending him on his knight trials next year."-said Zhar and Kavar felt that Zhar was genuinely proud of this padawan. And he must be, if they were considering him for knighthood when he was barely eighteen years old. -"But we will speak of this tomorow. Have a good day Master Kavar!"-he finished standing up and dissappearing in one of the doors in the walls. The other masters followed him and left Kavar alone with his thoughts.

..

**_I am curenlty looking for beta readers and editors! If anyone has an interest - you can contact me trough the email posted in my profile. _**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2 :**_

**Coruscant early morning:**

Meetra awoke from the high-pitched alarm standing on the small drawer which was positioned near her bed. She reached out and turned it off. Taking a look around her room she noticed small sunrays passing trough the sunblinders which ment that it was around nine in coruscant time. She pulled them away from the windows with a wave of her hand and the room was instantly lit, making her cover her eyes for a moment. Standing up she started stretching her body. She hated it that it took her far more concentration in doing something as trival as pulling the suncovers out than the other padawans her age needed. On the other hand she always seemed to learn things not connected to the force much more easier than most of her friends. When she finished her stretchings she headed towards the shower. After finishing bathing and drying herself up she quickly wraped her hair in a ponytail except the small braid near her right ear. Then pulled her brown padawan robes out and started dressing herself. When she was done she checked her schedule and saw that most of her day was going to be free. Mostly because the padawans were going to be training with their masters, and since she was the only one without one almost her whole day was going to be filled with free time. She decided to go in the archives after eating something fast for breakfast and left her room.

The temple was buzzing with life as always. Masters, knights, padawans and even younglings were hurrying for their duties. She spotted a few goverment officials, probably having a meeting with the council, standing near the lifts that were leading towars the top of the temple. There were also a few millitary men which were arguing with one of the officials. She didn't pay them much attention and continued her way. A few familiar knights passed her by and greeted her, she greeted them in return with small respectful bows. She grabbed a Gorba-melt bar from the caffeteria and headed towards the archives hoping to find her friend there.

After a good fifteen minutes she finaly reached her destination. After entering the archives she spoted a few jedis walking around the large computerized libraries. Meetra closed on a console and started browsing to see if her friend was in the archive at the moment. It turned out that she was indeed there. "_Jedi holocrosn and history section! Why am I not suprised that she is always there anymore"_-she thought, her lips twisting in to a small smile. She headed towards the lifts which were leading to the area in question.

After reaching her destination in a couple of minutes, she spoted the person she was looking for head on. Her friend, a human jedi knight which was around ten years older than her, was siting on a nearby terminal and was reading something with great interest judging from the concentrated look on her face. Meetra closed on her from behind and tapped her lighly on the shoulder:

-"What has goten your attention this time Atris? Some big heroic victory of the Jedi against the ancient Sith? Or probably new artifacts and holocrons have been discovered?"-she asked.

-"You startled me Meetra! Indeed an old enclave has been found on Tython. But the data is still insufficient to determine if it belonged to the jedi order or if it was from before the order was created. They brought some interesting readings just yestarday but I was busy to look at them then. So! Now I am catching up."-Atris smiled anthusiastically. -"By the way! What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be training with master Kel'Tar right now?" -she looked at her padawan friend suspiciously and disapproving. Then she saw Meetra's face darkening and her smile fading, and regreted her words instantly figuring out what had happened even before her friend started speaking.

-"Master Kel'Tar left for Dantoine a few days ago.-"Atris felt the sadness in Meetra trought the force. -"It is always the same! Everytime the council sends a master to teach me he leaves a few weeks after!"

Atris felt that her friends emotions were heating up:

-"Meetra, remember the jedi code! There is no emotion...!"-she started.

-"...there is peace!" -Meetra took a deep breath and exhaled.-"Thank you for that! I just don't understand what my problem is! I must concentrate three times harder than any other padawan to exercise any of the force techniques we have been learning. Jiklo Netil is already able to moove whole beds with ease."

-"Is that the miraluka padawan?"-asked Atris. Meetra seated herself in the terminal that was next to the knight. -"As you know he is from a species that are naturaly strong in the force. Do not get discouraged only because he moves a litle faster than you." Meetra was about to say something but Atris stped her with a wave of her hand. -"And as I hear it, you manage to beat him in every single duel. Actually I hear that no-one from the padawans can stand against you in the duel ring."-she felt that her friend's mood was improving litle by litle. -"I wanted to ask you about something i overheard last night from a master in the meditation chambers. Is it true that you bested padawan Jiklo using the Juyo stance last evening?"

Meetra noticed that Atris was taking a great interest in that, and wondered why.

-"Yes, it is true."-she answered and saw her friend's eyes widen.

-"This is amazing! From where or from who did you learn it?"-asked Atris frantically. Meetra was startled from the sudden burst of emotions she felt from her friend.

-"I found some material on jedi saber techniques a few weeks ago! Why are you acting like that? It was nothing special, i bet many knights like yourself, have been trained in it!?"-her friend was acting strangely.

-"Do you mean, that you do not know anything about the technique and you are practicing it?"-Atris was amazed. On one hand Meetra was amazing, grasping the basics of one of the most deadly and complex techinques ever created, on the other she was careless for doing so. She was worried for her because she herself had studied the various saber techniques, and Juyo was considered dangerous both for your enemies and yourself because it required the wielder of the form to surrender his/her feelings to the fight itself, which could lead to the dark side. -"I am amazed that you can use Juyo, even as an utter beginner. That saberform requires a very strong connection in the force because you let your feelings and the force guide your movements. It is considered a master-level technique and it is very dangerous. As of now there are only two masters which are learned in Juyo, and they are both in the Jedi Council."-she finaly finished and took a deep breath. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement.

Meetra didn't know how to feel after this bombardment of information, beside utterly confused.

-"I do not understand, it just feels right to me, like every other fighting techniques, hand-to-hand and otherwise." -she shrugged her shoulders. -"I just wish i could learn about the force the same way." -her face turned in to a frown. -"What will happen to me if they do not find a master to train me? Will they exile me or something?"-Meetra knew there were force techniques to wipe the mind of a preson, or even to cut him or her entirely from the force. And she knew the order can not send even a partly trained person away without taking any precautions. She shuddered at the thought inwardly.

Atris was seeing that her friend was upset but for some reason she could't feel her trough the force anymore. When she tried again she felt like slamming in to a wall and decided to give it a rest. Then all of a sudden Meetra looked at her like she had just remembered something:

-"So! When do you leave with the masters for Dantoine? If I remember correctly you were due to leave this week, right?" -the padawan asked the older girl.

-"We are departing tommorow at 11:00 Coruscant time."-the knight answered and it was her turn to frown. -"I realy am excited about learning from all the knowedge that is stored in the dantoinian archives! There are many holocrons with great knowedge in the enclave there, and Master Dorak is one of the best chroniclers in the order. The only unsettling thing is that I will not know anyone there and it will be a litle lonely."

-"Do not worry too much, I am sertain you will fit right in. I am kind of jealous of you actually. They say that on Dantoine are staying a few of the most respected and powerful masters of the order. I also heard rumors of a padawan with such a strong connection to the force which hasn't been seen in many decades."-said Meetra. It seemed that she had almost forgoten their discussion they had a few minutes ago, now she had a strange almost dreamlike expression on her face. -"I wonder what kind of a person he or she is?"-she finished finaly and her expresion returned to normal.

-"I will make it my top priority to contact you once i have made my acquaintance with that person, and tell you what he or she is like."-said Atris. -"Now what are you going to do with all this free time you have on your hands today?"-she asked her friend.

-"Well, a few days ago i found some very interesting data here about the war with Exar Kun, and many reports on older battles and wars. I think that since you are here I will link the data to this console and keep you company."- Meetra said cheerfully. Atris rolled her eyes in pretendence of annoyance:

-"I don't get you! Why do you like reading about millitary history and tactics so much?" -she asked. A small grin appeared on the padawan's face:

-"Probably the same reason you love studying ancient Sith and Jedi history, holocrons and teachings. And besides even the jedi code is teling us to learn as many things as we can, remember? There is no ignorance, there is knowledge!" - her grin had turned to a broad smile by the time she finished her sentance. Atris saw that the battle was lost before it even began, and decided to return to her studies. Meetra finished her data linking and also burried her whole attention in to the console in-front of her. The knight threw a peek at the padawan one last time. Even if she had never said it out loud she always enjoyed her company, and besides there were not many padawans at her age that would go volunteraly in the archives and spend their free time there. They both continued reading their materials in silence.

**Around 5 pm Coruscant time the same day:**

After a good seven hours reading, Meetra and Atris decided that it was time to leave the archives. When they were almost at the exit thei were confronted by a jedi knight. He took a look at them. Noticing that Atris was a knight like himself he made a courteous bow in greetings. Then looked at Meetra:

-"Padawan Surik?"-he asked. She noded wondering what this was all about. -"Master Kavar requests your presence in the council chamber. He did not say that you must go immediately. But! I will advise you when a council member asks of something it is better not to make him wait more that is needed to." -he declared, turned around and left.

-"I hadn't realised that Master Kavar had returned. I wonder what business he has with you?"-said Atris looking curiously at her friend.

-"I have no idea. I haven't seen him in ten years or so. Not since he brought me in to the order." -said Meetra, and her face turned grimm. -"Maybe he is going to be the ona that kicks me out, since he was the one that brought me in the first place."

-"Don't be silly! I am sure nothing of the sort is going to happen. If we were allowed to bet, I would stake my money that he is probably going to be your master. Or something of the sort anyway because Master Kavar is not known for taking regular apprentices." -Atris patted the distressed padawan on the showder.

-"Well, atlest I can go in the millitary if they give me the boot." -she said with a weak smile. Then bowed to Atris and left for the lifts which were leading towards the top of the temple.

Meetra reached the lifts in no time and leaned on the glass, face facing the door. She didn't know what to feel. On one side she was very excited. Kavar had been the very man that brought her to the order. She still remembered when she met him for the first time. Standing infront of her tall, handsome, and with an unnatural strength emmiting from him. She was only five but the memomry was still fresh in her mind. It was few years after that meeting when she understood that he was one of the youngest jedi knights admited in the council. Also he was referfed as the best lightsaber-master in the whole order. And not ignoring the many feats he had acomplished in the past few years! Fighting pirates and mandalorians in the outer rims. She admired him very much and always strived to be like him. On the other hand he had abandoned her as soon as they accepted her in the order and didn't contact her even once for the past ten years. "_There is no emotion... there is peace..."_ she started reciting in her head and calmed down. "_Whatever is going to happen is going to hapen as the Force wills it."_ She relaxed and closed her eyes awating to reach the top.

The lift stopped and she made her way trought the corridors leading towards the council chamber. In a few minutes she reached the massive door of the jedi council's room. She clicked on the console next to the door:

-"Padawan Surik arriving on the request of Master Kavar." The door opened and she proceeded inside.

The room was large. Not as big as the training rooms on the lower levels but still large enough. There were twenty expensive looking chairs positioned in a circle around the room and a large monolith with ancient jedi carvings positioned in the center. There were only four council members present and Meetra recognized Kavar immediately. Ten years had passed but he looked almost the same as the last time she had seen him. A sturdy looking and handsome human with brown shorty-cuted hair. The other representitives were a blue male twi'lek she did not recognise, an much older and bald human male she knew that went by the name of Vrook Lamar, and a togruta female master which looked very familiar to her. She bowed respectfully and they all noded to her in return. The twi'lek master spoke first:

-"You can relax padawan, you are not here because you did something whrong! We just have something to inform you of." -his voice was cam and relaxing.

-"Yes! As master Zhar said, there are some things we must discuss with you." -said the bald human. His voice was strong and hard. Like the voice of a person who never had any fun in his life. Meetra disliked the man already.

-"I do not suppose that you remember master Kavar? He was the one who brought you in to the order ten years ago."-said Zhar.

-"I remember him masters. It is not an event that even a five year old can forget easily."-said Meetra and looked at Kavar. He was examining her closely. Then he said:

-"Truth be told I saw your duel last night, but I didn't have the slightest idea that it was you fighting! Basicly because you look older than your actual age."

Meetra wasn't surprised by his remark. Many people mistook her age. She was tall and well formed for her age. People usualy thought she was around her twenties.

-"I am curious! Last night when you fought that miralukan padawan I noticed that you wield Shii-Cho very well. What other saber forms have you been practicing?" -asked her Kavar.

-"I can use Makashi fluently..."-Kavar wasn't surprised, after all Makashi was a form made from Shii-Cho. The only difference was that Makashi discarded most of the wide and chaotic swipes from Shii-Cho and replaced them with more precise and elegant strikes. It required more footwork than strength overall. -"..also I am well versed in Soresu. I have been training in Shien but i do not fare well in it."-that also didn't surprise him, Shien was a form used to deflect projectiles and required a strong connection to the force which helped the jedi to predict where they were going to strike. -" And there is.."-she went silent. Kavar felt that she was reluctant on in saing whatever she started saying.

-"And there is what padawan?"-asked Lamar in a tone which suggested he wouldn't let her pass without answering. Meetra looked around for a few seconds and then answered:

-"I have been training Trákata."-she went silent.

Kavar saw that the other masters were as surprised as him. They all thought that she was going to say something about the Juyo but they were not expecting at all the answer she had given them.

-"Where did you learn about that form padawan Surik? Answer me instantly!" -Vrook's tone had gone from hard to ice cold and Kavar wasn't going to blame him. Trákata was a saber technique invented by one of the first and most powerfull Sith Lords - Ajunta Pall, and he could only imagine where she had learned it's name, not to think actualy -seeing the moves of the form. It suddenly hit him. That was the reason he thought that Juyo would suit her fine if she continued practicing it. Juyo and Trákata were very close to each other. They were the counterparts of the Shii-Cho and the Makashi forms. To be able to master Shii-Cho perfectly one needed to master the Makashi at the same level. And the principle of Juyo and Trákata was the same. Kavar had mastered both forms but he had never used Trákata in his fights. Mainly because if you landed a blow with it the concequences were variating from unpleasant to gruesome and using it it posed a great risk for the user to be killed instead. Still the whole concept of this young girl being able to study any each of the both styles was very intiguing, because when Juyo required a strong orientation in the force Trákata required even stronger. It was a technique which had moves that required the wielder of the lightsaber to turn it off at moments, and if he could not see his opponent's moves with the force on time it could prove fatal. This padawan was a true anomaly among the jedi. He looked at Surik again.

-"I found materials in the archives master."-she said trying to stay calm.

-"I know where these materials are, and I know acces for the padawans is limited."-Vrook was relentless.

-"A knight friend of mine is working in the archives, we study and read together there most of our free time. I told her a few months back, that i am mostly intrigued by fighting techniques, millitary history and other data in the same orientation, and she gave me permision to browse the more advanced materials."-she answered.

-"Would you be so kind to tell us the name of that knight?"-asked Zhar. But after seeing that the padawan was reluctand in answering, probably because she feared her friend will be in toruble he added: -"Do not be afraid, your friend will not be in any trouble, what has happened is already in the past, we are just curious." - that seemed to relax her and she answered:

-"Jedi knight Atris, Master."

-"Atris did?"-the togruta master was very surprised, Meetra noded. -"I must say, my apprentice is quite strict when it comes to dangerous knolwedge, i am fairly surprised that she allowed you acces."- now it was turn for Meetra to be surprised, Atris hadn't spoken about her master, but she never expected her to be a council memeber, and by judging by her looks, she was fairly young by togruta standarts.

-"Forgive me Master, but we are verry good friends. When we both have our free time, at the same time, we are almost always together."-she said. Atris's master looked somewhat pleased after he statement:

-"It is nice to see that she has such a good friend, I always thought she liked to keep to herself."-but then Meetra noticed the quick peek she gave to the other masters. but she decided that it wasn't worth any thought.

-"I saw you using Juyo at the end of your duel. I was wondering who tought you the basics in that form? I must admit it was a very sloppy form, but stil, for a padawan who isn't very strong in the force you did quite well."-said Kavar.

-"Oh, I found some references of the form when i was studing about a jedi line called Quel'Droma. The data didn't have much on it, only some projections for a few moves,and a reference towards an Ulic Quel'Droma. It was around two weeks ago that i started practicing them, and last night was the first time trying it against an opponent."-said the girl.

The masters were silent. Kavar seemed to be deep in thought about something serious because his eyebrows were constantly twitching.

-"Good, enough about that topic, the reason we called you here is because Master Kavar will be taking you to Dantoine and continue your training there."-said master Zhar. Meetra's eyes widened from surprise. "_I guess it's a good thing we didn't bet with Atris."_

-"Is that realy true Masters?"-she could barely contain her excitement. She was going to be tutored by the person she admired the most in the universe and she could scarcely belive it.

-"Yes, you and he will be joining Me, master Zhar and knight Atris in our departure for Dantoine. Master Kavar is the one who brough you to us, and also one of the best swordmasters the order has ever had, so we are hoping that his teaching methods will be perfect for you."-said master Lamar. -"Which reminds me.."-he turned towards Atris's master -"Master Kin'Tai, inform knight Atris that the shuttle which will lead us to our ship will arrive around 11:00 Coruscant time tommorow at the eastern landing pad."-he finished, and the togruta noded.

-"You must know one other thing, Master Kavar agreed on teaching you, but he will not be your formal master, he will be able to leave you at any time he wishes to, and if another master requests to fill you in the ways of the force he will not stop him."-spoke Zhar again.

Meetra felt sadness overtaking her "_Just like the other masters, and they al left a few weeks after they had began tutoring me"._

_-_"Be mindful of your feelings padawan!"-said Zhar with a kind voice. -"There is no emotion..."

-"...there is peace! Thank you master."-finished the sentance the padawan.

-"Do nto worry over this matter, i am sure things will go alright. We have a good feeling about our decision."-said the twi'lek master and the three masters turned their heads towards Kavar, who shrugged innocently.

-"Now that everything is clear, we advise you to go and pack all your essential things for tommorow's flight."-spoke Vrook.

-"Thank you Masters!"-said Meetra, bowed to them and left the room. "_I bet Atris will be delighted that I will be going with her on Dantorine."_-thought the padawan and continued on her way.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3:**_

_**Around noon the next day:**_

Meetra was striding fast trought the temple's halls. She had seen the shuttle arriving a couple of minutes ago, and now was hurrying to the landing platform with a small backpack on her back. She saw that the masters and Atris were already making their way on the open. She quickened her pace finaly gaining on them after a couple of turns. It seemed that the jedi knight had already boarded the shuttle. Master Lamar, Zhar and Kavar were discussing something a few meters away from it. Meetra closed on them and bowed resectfuly.

-"Ah, padawan! It's nice to see you again. You came just in time, the shuttle just arrived. And now that we are all here we can proceed without further delay." -said Zhar with his melodic and calm voice. -"Knight Atris just went inside, you can go take a seat. We will board after a minute."

Meetra bowed lightly again and boarded the shuttle pulling down her backpack. The shuttle was "Orbital jumper" class and was rather small. It had just enough space for the five of them an probably two or three passengers more. She saw that Atris had taken a seat right behind the co-pilot(right side), and decided to sit next to her behind the pilot.

-"Good day knight Atris!"-she said with the best official tone she could muster.

The female knight almost jumped from her seat. "_Just as i thought, they didnt tell her that i am going too!" -_thought the padawan with a large smile on her face.

-"What in the force are you doing here?" -asked her Atris.

-"So they realy didn't inform you? I am going to be studying under Master Kavar in the dantoinian enclave." -she said still laughing at her friend's reaction. -"Still, I don't get you. Why do I always succeed at surprising you? Don't you feel my presence when I am about to do something near you? The other padawans and jedi never manage to surprise me like that. I can feel them from many meters away."

-"Yes. I do too. But you on the other hand, I can't sense most of the time. It's like you are there and the next moment you arn't! You are strange like that!" -she began justifying herself. -"Well, atleast it's good to know that there will be one familiar face coming with me on Dantoine."

Meetra had just seated herself behind the pilot when she heard that the other masters were boarding the shuttle. Master Kavar took the seat behind her while instucting the pilots the coordinates they needed to take them to where their ship was waiting. After a few seconds they were steadily gaining hight and soon they passed the low orbit of the planet. Meetra's eyes widened when she saw the ship that was going to transport them to Dantoine floating in Coruscant's high orbit.

It was a republic Valor-class dreadnought. The ship's design had a bulbous center section, with gun batteries covering the front, sides and stern, seven thrusters located on a ventral tower and a command tower on the dorsal side. Lining the sides of each ship were several hangars. In addition, at least one hangar was located on the dorsal hull, facing the "valley" in the middle of the craft. It had atleast three dosen turbolaser batteries, concussion missile launchers and heavy point-defence laser cannons. She saw a few Aurek-class tactical strikefighters buzzing around it. She looked at Atris on her side and saw that the knight was also very impressed. It seemed like this was the first time for both of them seing one of these up-close. The ship was enormous. It's weight must have been around two milion tons of pure durasteel. She turned backwards to face the masters and asked them:

-"Masters, we are going with a millitary ship!?"

-"That is correct. As you know Dantoine is near the outer rims and there are constant threats of pirate raids along the hyperspace routes. I asked the admiralty if they could provide us with transport. It happened so that one of their flag ships leading a patroll fleet in the sector which our destination is in suffered heavy damage in a confrontation with a rather large pirate fleet and had to return for repairs a few weeks ago. And so it happened that they are ready to depart and will drop us off near Dantoine." -answered her Kavar.

The shuttle closed on the dock positioned at the top of the battleship. The pilot exchanged a few words with the officer on watch and soon began docking procedures.

When they docked Meetra pulled her backpack over her left shoulder and got in line behind the masters. She noticed that Atris was pulling two large traveling bags with each hand and raised a brow slightly, but decided not to tease her friend. The shuttle's ramp opened and they proceded forward. She wasn't paying attention to her surroundings and then suddenly heard:

-"COMPANY! Present, ARMS!" -a strong and commanding voice shouted. Meetra raised her eyes and took a look around. The dock was filled with red and gold. Atleast two hundred soldiers and officers were lined up in four perfect lines forming a large passageway between them. The soldiers and officers executed rifle(blaster rifles) and hand salutes in union.

The masters were standing near each other in a line waiting for a man which was headed their way from the other side of the dock. The padawan noticed that he was wearing admiral stripes on his uniform. A meter behind him was following a woman which stripes indentified her as a commander. In a few seconds they stoped infront of Kavar and saluted him:

-"Master Kavar, Master Lamar and Master Zhar! Welcome aboard the "Unforgiving". It is an honor to have you aboard my ship."-he said. -"I am Admiral Gilsen Zind and this is Commander Forn Dodonna!" -the man intorduced them. -"I must say it is a rare pleasure escorting masters from the jedi council although we still haven't received our destitantion. "

-"It is a pleasure making your acquaintances Admiral!" -said Zhar and bowed in return to their salute. -"As for your destination, we would like you to drop us off at Dantoine!"

-"Excuse me Master Jedi! But Dantoine is a world mostly populated by farmers! What business could people from your status possibly have there?" -asked the commander with a baffled expresion on her face.

-"I am sorry but these are jedi matters. Although we certanly appreciate this gesture of good-will from the admiralty!" -answered her Vrook and the admiral knew that the topic was over. Then he noticed the two girls behind them:

-"Ah! And who might you two be? I must appologice but I was briefed thet my passangers would be four. Master Kavar, Zhar, Lamar and a girl named Atris if I am not msiatken!?" -said the admiral apologetically turning his head on the knight and the young padawan. Kavar looked at them and said:

-"This..."-he noded towards Atris -"..is knight Atris, she is something like a chronicler in training. And this.."-his head turned to Meetra -"...is my new padawan Meetra Surik. I must apologize but she was a last minute addition." -the master finished the introductions. Admiral Zind bowed slightly and turned his head forward. -"No worries then, we will find a suitable place for the miss in no time." -he said and typed something on his comlink.

-"Order, ARMS!" -the girl heard the backs of around two hundred blaster rifles hiting the steel floor behind her. -"COMPANY, Dismissed!"-she entered the ship's corridor and only heard the sound of four hundred boots spreading in all directions.

-"I must say, I am quite impressed by your welcoming commitie Admiral!" -she said but the admiral waved his hand:

-"It was nothing special! Just plain old protocol. You have to see a millitary parade! Now that is always a sight to be seen! I still remember the one on Coruscant from twenty years ago when the war ended." -he said nonchalantly. Two soldiers appeared from a corner and he stoped them. The first was a girl around twenty-twenty five with corporal stripes on her shoulder and the other was an older rattataki male and his signs showed her he was an ensign. They both saluted the Admiral.

-"Ensign Eizsh will show you your bunks masters and corporal Sinya will show knight Atris and padawan Surik theirs." -he turned towards the masters: -"I would like to see you on the bridge when you are done. We will be entering hyperspace in a few minutes." -then he left. Leaving commander Dodonna behind. The masters followed the ensign and also dissappeared around a officer spoke to Atris:

-"Your's and padawan's Surik presences are not necesarry so the admiral has given you permision to roam freely around the ship when you are done accommodating yourselves." -and with a quick salute she left them in the hands of the young corporal.

-"Miss Sinya! Do you have any idea when we'll be reaching our destination?" -asked Atris.

-"I belive it will take us around a week if we make it without any problems down at the engeneering sector. Our hyperdrive had to be replaced after our last battle and we haven't tested the new one yet so we will be taking a detour around Ord Mantell." -said the young woman and beckoned them to follow her.

-"Why such a big detour? Taris is much closer." -pointed out Atris. The young officer was about to say somethign but Meetra beat her to it:

-"Taris is closer yes, but they need a bigger hyper route to test the new hyperdrive. We may loose a day or two but it's better to be safe than sorry." -the corporal noded in agreement.

Soon they reached the bunk prepared for Atris and after the officer gave her the required security codes - she and the padawan continued towards the lower decks.

-"My bunk is not near hers?" -asked Meetra surprised.

-"No! We were briefed that we would have four passangers and so preparations for only four guests were made. You will be staying in my bunk in the trooper compartments." -answered Sinya.

-"Have you been in any battles corporal?" -asked the padawan. The elder woman looked at her:

-"If by a battle you mean, siting tight in anticipation while the ship you are on is constantly being rocketed by proton missiles and turbo-lasers the answer is yes. I have been in a few battles. Otherwise my unit hasn't been in ground battles or even boarding parties yet."

Finaly after going trough three whole decks they reached the compartments where her home was going to be for the next few days. The corridors there were more spacious. Probably made that way for more easyer passing when the troopers were in armor and hurrying towards the docking bays for deployment. The corporal stoped near a door and typed somekind of a security key opening it.

The room was small. It had one bed on two stores. A rather large wardrobe - probably because the troopers were keeping their battle-gear in them along with their uniforms. There was also a stand with six vibroblades in the corner of the bunk, and also a mirror on the wall infront of the bed.

-"You can use the left part of the wardrobe to stash your stuff. The baths are at the end of this corridor near the training premises but I warn you that they are common. If you are not comfortable with that I could report to the admiral so he can make arrangements for you to use the bath of some of the higher officers." -said the woman. -"The caffeteria is on deck 23. Come here, I can show you the route."

-"That won't be necessary. I have studied all structual designs of almost every republic war-ship. I will find my way but thank you anyway. And I am fine with the common baths." -Meetra told the officer. Then she started unpacking.

She had taken only her cosmetic necessities, a few pairs of underware and her new robes. The robe was black unlike the one she wore which was very bright brown.

Suddenly the ship shook slightly indicating that they had entered hyperspace. "_Goodbye Coruscant and hello to the distant world I had never even heard of a week ago!" -_thought Meetra to herself.

-"So can I visit the training compartments while I am here?" -she asked the older girl.

-"Of course. My shift is actualy finishing in ten minutes, if you want we can go together." -she answered her.

-"Great! Much appreciated!" -cheered the padawan and started dressing herself in her new garments. When she was done she took a look at herself in the walled-mirror. She thought that she would leave quite the impression. She was tall, well groomed, and her black robes were strangely quite suitable with her blue eyes. The corporal raised a brow impressed when the younger girl came infront of the bunk. Then they headed for the training compartments. A few soldiers passed by them and saluted the corporal while giving her curious looks. Meetra had noticed by what she had seen so far that most of the crew were human. There were very few aliens. She had seen a few twi'leks, the rattaki ensign, and she had spotted a selkath heading towards engeneering.

They entered the training compartment and Meetra saw that it was quite spacious. There were shooting ranges, battle rings and many devices for physical exercises. Few of the rings were occupied by fighting pairs while many other soldiers were watching and whistling at them. There were also geared troops at the shooting ranges firing at artificial targets. They made their way towards one of the fighting rings. One of the marines saw them approach and pushed a few of his fellows to make space for the newcomers. The corporal seated herself at the end of one of the benches but Meetra decided to stay standing so she could have a better view on the fight. She also noticed that the soldiers were giving her intrigued glances.

After watching the fight around thirty seconds she noticed that it wasn't a sparring match. The fight was very chaotic and looked more like a brawl than fighting. One of the soldiers was very agitated when on the other hand the other had a rather confused look on his face.

-"This is the first time i have seen such fierce sparring" -she said to the corporal. The woman started saying something but a twi'lek standing near Meetra answered before her:

-"They are not sparring Master Jedi. Someone broke John's hologram of his daugther - that is the person which looks like an angry gundark by the way - and he thought that it was Thall's doing because they have been at each other's throats since the last battle." -the padawan looked at him questioningly: -".. so the story is, John draged Thall without even uttering a word to him and started attacking him." -finished the marine.

-"But why draging him all the way to the ring and not beat him where he found him?" -asked the girl puzzled. The twi'lek stared at ther as if in wonder if she is teasing him. After he saw that she didn't indeed know - he said:

-"Regulations M'am! If he beats the crap out of him outside of the ring we would have to throw him in the brig."

-"I understand. So as long as they are in the ring he could pass it out as an sparring which went a little too far?" -she asked him. The soldier nodded:

-"Indeed Master Jedi!" -he replied.

-"And noone is doing anything about it because...?" -started the padawan.

-".. because they have been at bad terms for a long time and this was bound to happen sooner or later. And when they started fighting we decided to let them sort things between them without outside intervention. Also some of the men like to bet on events like these." -he finished and pointed at a group of soldiers that were constantly giving advices on the fight and whistling at the fighters.

-"Aham! And by the way I am not a master. I am just a padawan !" -the girl corrected him.

-"I am sorry miss! Because of your clothes I thought ... and you have a strange aura which I might say inspires a certain level of discipline and authority." -apologised the soldier.

"_DIscipline and authority? I like that!"_-thought the padawan to herself.

Meetra turned her attention towards the fight again. It was geting more heated by the second. The man they introduced to her as John was constantly geting more angry because his opponent was managing to dodge or block almost all of his hits and kicks. It seemed that the guy called Thall was more fluent in martial arts than the other man and had an advantage despite his smaller build. He looked rather calm and she was impressed. She doubted that in his place whe would remain as calm as him. Giving that he was constantly being attacked by man who was like a ravaging beast.

She had to admit the man knew how to block efficiently. He was using his elbows and legs almost all the time. That was a very good strategy when facing an opponent with supperior strength because there weren't many sensitive nerves around the elbows and the bones were hard. The man was patiently waiting for openings to counterattack. Unlike the other soldier who looked like he was trying to bash a wall and not a living person. Thall was mostly defending himself, only from time to time he would jab his opponent or kick him on the sides but Meetra saw that he was always aiming for points which would either give his opponent a world of pain or make his movements harded and harded to perform.

After a few minutes John was barely standing. And then he did something very unexpected. He jumped head on against Thall and managed to bring him down on the metal floor. He locked his opponent in lying position and started delivering strong punches on his head and face breaking his nose.

-"That's ENOUGH!" -came a shouting female voice and John stoped immediately his attacks.

A woman in a black uniform with a few silver lines had entered the training ground. Many of the troopers stood up and saluted her. The woman made her way towards the ring. She looked at the twi'lek:

-"Private Veir! Help engeneer Thall to the medbay so they can fix his nose." -she ordered and the twi'lek standing near Meetra hurryed to the ring. Then the woman turned towards the other soldier: -"Private Avery! I belive you must be satisfied well enough now. I expect this will be the last i hear from you two?" -she asked with steel in her eyes.

-"Yes Sir!" -nodded the soldier.

-"Good! You are dismissed! I see you are barely standing. Go and have your ribs checked at the infirmary!" -said the officer. The soldier saluted her and left. She took a last look around the space and was a litle startled seing the jedi there but didn't say anything. Then she turned and left.

-"Who was that? I haven't seen such stripes and uniform in the admiralty." -asked Meetra Sinya.

-"She is the major of our commando unit. They are called "The Black Reapers" and her name is Kyra Alruia. They say she fought in the war twenty years ago." -said the corporal.

-"She fought in the war? But she looks young." -pointed out the padawan.

-"She is an Andalese. You didn't see her horn's because of the hat." -anwered the woman. -"They say she even survived an encouter with Ulic Quel'Droma himself." -Meetra was beyond impressed by these news. The corporal saw her expression: -"Well what we heard is that she fought with him around a couple of minutes then a jedi master saved her life or something." -she added.

-"Oh! Well to survive and encounter with a dark jedi or any jedi at all is a feat in itself." -said the padawan. The female officer raised a brow slightly. Probably thinking that the jedi was a bit arrogant. And maybe she indeed was. But so far she had bested every single padawan in the jedi temple she had fought and even two knights.

-"Fianaly! There you are!" -came a loud shout. Meetra turned startled and saw Atris walking towards her. -"I shoud have known that you would be here. Force blast me! Why did I run around the whole ship when it was so obvious!" -she finished and the jedi padawan saw that her face was just a litle bit redder than usualy. -"I have been searching everywhere for you!" -she siad. A large grin appeared on Meetra's face.

-"Oh dear! I hope you didn't memorize the whole ship while looking for me!" -she said snickering.

-"Ha ha ha! Laugh it all out! I was in engeneering when a soldier told me he had seen a jedi girl here. I spend twenty minutes trying to find my way in this damned labyrinth of a ship. What were you doing in here so long anyway?" -asked the knight.

-"Well i was watching a fight actualy. Well more like a bar brawl. And it was one sided almost untill the end. Well nevermind! Why are you looking for me?" -questioned her Meetra.

"Oh! Right. I found some interesting data before we left and took it with me. There are some things I am sure you will be interested in. So I decided to look for you so we can go through them togeter." -said Atris.

-"Alright." -Meetra turned towards the corporal: -"Well then corporal I will be taking my leave. I bid you good day!" -she said and headed out after Atris while the older woman headed towards the exercising equipment.

-"Artis! I belive it will be better if I lead the way towards your bunk, allright?" -said the padawan. The knight looked at her and remembered that she had been studying schematics about ships, speeders and droids almost six years and probably knew her way like the palm of her hand then she nodded and left the younger jedi lead the way.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four:**_

**On route to Dantoine aboard the Unforgivable:**

Meetra awoke with a slight headache. She grabed her clothes and a towel and headed towards the showers. Four days had passed since their departure from Coruscant. They had stopped at Ord Mantell for a few hours to run diagnostics at the hyperdrive and all that was left was a straight route towards Dantooine. The masters were spending most of their time at the bridge with the adrmiral and the commander so she found herself spending hers mostly amongst the ship's marines.

The showering compartments were empty when she entered them. It seemed that she had woken up little after the third shift had started so everyone were at their stations already. Undressing she positioned herself under one of the sonic showers. The feeling wasn't as satisfying like that of a normal water shower but the results were just as good, or even better.

She heard a whistle behind her and turned. There was a tall well build human man behind her heading towards a shower on the other side of the compartment.

-"Nice body you've got there lady. Do you train a lot to get such forms?" -he asked with a smug expression on his face probably trying to embarass her.

-"Regulary!" -she answered him without feeling uncomfortable even a bit. But the man had no intention of giving up easily.

-"How about we do some private sparring in my cabin?"

-"I'm sorry but I am afraid you won't be able to handle me." -she said, turned her shower off and started dressing herself.

-"Oh I can bet that I will surprise you!" -he said but she wasn't paying him any attention anymore.

Meetra heard one last not so civilized remark towards her before she headed for the caffeteria where she was supposed to meet with Atris.

She went to her cabin to put on her jedi clothes and after that headed towards the caffeteria. When she reached her destination she spotted her friend quite fast. Mainly because she was the only person on the whole ship that wore white clothes.

Her friend was, like always, reading from her datapads near the large window in the room. Meetra took a seat infront of her but didn't say anything to her. She took a look outside in to the hyperspace. She always found the constant blue light relaxing for some reason.

Atris looked up and saw that the younger jedi was deep in thought. She never understood how she can look so much like the masters in the temple in moments like this. Meetra was constantly emitting great confidence in everythign she did. She never broke her given word at anything. And when it came to serious matters she acted almsot like the old masters in the order. In the three years they knew each other she had complained only two times for her failings while studiyng the force . She knew that Meetra was always trying to give her best in accomplishing her tasks and goals. Of corse at moments she acted childlish but it was understandable. After all she was only fifteen even if she was a jedi.

-"What have you planned doing for today?" -asked Meetra while turning her head towards the knight.

-"Nothing in particular. I will probaly read." -the padawan rolled her eyes faking boredom.

-"I wonder if I should ask someone in the gym to spar with me. I am bored from training alone. And you never want to fight with me. I have been practicing my force techniques harder lately but didn't have much of a chance to use them in a fight. In my last duel I was experimenting with the Juyo and the duel finished qute fast for my liking." -She had been practicing alone for the past four days. Meetra looked at Atris with displeasure.

-"After that beating I had to suffer last year? No thank you! I prefer to stick to my datapads." -said the knight. She hadn't belived the rummors the other knights were spreading for her friend and had tried defeating her herself. Only to find out that even thought Meetra was only a padawan she far exeeded her at saber combat. If they had used the force freely Atris knew that she would have won and Meetra knew it too. But their match was stricktly saber to saber and hand to hand and she had payed with many very painful bruses for her presumptions. The young jedi stood up, grabbed a snack from the cook and strode off leaving Atris to her reading.

The ship was buzzing with life. Engineers, soldiers and officers were constantly moving from one post to another. She almost bumped into severaw people while on her way towards the gym. It was a good thing she sensed the collisions at the last moment and avoided them making strange dance-like movements earning herself some very odd looks from the crew. Atris was right. The ship was like a damned labirynth. Even though she knew her way around it took her near fifteen minutes to reach the training compartments. She went near the door and entered the security key to open the door. When she entered it she saw that the compartment was almost full. There were many more troopers in armor than the days before and the rings were quite lively. "_Probably the sergeants are drilling them harded because we are nearing the outer rim space borders." -_she thought to herself. She noticed that one of the rings had quite the large crowd around it and headed that way to check it out.

After making her way trough the whistling mob of soldiers she saw what the commotion was all about. The major of the commandos unit was fighting the man that had tried to irritate her in the showers. They were both wearing light jedi-like black clothes(like kimonos) unlike the rest of the soldiers which were wearing standart red unofficial uniforms.

The two fighters were currently circling around each other. Suddenly the man jumped at her with a kick directed at her jaw. The major countered him with a kick of her own knocking his leg down followed by a side kick of her own directed at his chest. Her opponent ducked and evaded the kick. Then he close on her with a series of quick jabs and low kicks. The woman pulled her arms in a block and prevented him from doing any major damage to her body. The major then grabbed his right arm and while pulling him towards her she shot her right leg past his shoulder and sidekicked him in the back of the head forcing him on the ground. A roar of approval arised from the gathered crowd and the soldiers began exchanging credits.

-"Damn it! I thought that he would last atlest ten minutes this time!" -said one of the soldiers near her. The defeated combatant stood up shaking his head lightly probably trying to fixate his vision after the strong knockout. He turned towards the woman:

-"Damn it Major! I always fail to block that move. There won't be a next time from now on I swear it!" -he said agitated. The woman turned towards him and laughed:

-"Yes yes LC (leutenant commander)! We all know the drill!" -she said that second sence sarcastically and looked at the other soldiers and they shared a laugh.

Meetra decided that this was her chance for a nice sparring match.

-"Hey leutenant-commander! How did you think you could spar with me with such lousy skills!" -she shouted out and the crowd went silent. The LC took a qurious look at her and his eyes widened in surprise.

-"What in the ...?" -and then he saw her garment. -"Blast me! You were a jedi? Hey look! About what happened in the showers! It was a miunderstanding alright? I am sorry!?" -he almost sounded sincere but she felt that he wasn't. The soldiers were giving them questioning looks. They felt that there were going to be interesting events happening and were all too happy to see them.

-"Oh come on now! You promised me a private sparring match remember?" -she said trying to bait him. -"Or are you scared of a little girl?" -that made a few of the soldiers which were dressed like the major and the man in question to shout:

-"Come on now Fias! You aren't just going to take that are you?" -said one.

-"Yea show this jedi chick(as in a little chicken) what our unit is capable of!" -it seemed that they were his comrades from the commando unit the corporal had spoken of a few days ago.

"_Nice! A commandos! Finaly a chance for a challenge!"- _she thought. Commandos were special units of soldiers that executed black ops operations like attacking objectives behind enemy lines, heavy reconnaissance and even assasinations from time to time. They were all elite units with an elite combat training.

The soldier looked at her:

-"Look missy I ain't scared of anything. You want to fight? Lets see what you've got." -then he turned towards his commanding officer: -"Major if you will?" -the woman nodded and headed towards the end of the ring jumping down and taking a seat on a nearby bench. It seemed she also wanted to see what was going to happen.

Meetra decided to do a little play so she used the force to jump over the crowd landing exactly beside her opponent grining in his startled face. She took a look around and saw that everyone in the room had their eyes on them and turned at Fias again. Then took two stepes back taking her battle stance. Taking a squatting position with her left foot and arm extended towards her opponent while her right arm was standing still near her shoulder prepared for a counter. She didn't know what martial art she was using but when she had joined the order she had found a datapad with its content without the name and she had never lost a hand to hand fight when she fianly mastered it last year.

Te soldier attacked her with a straight jab which she blocked with her left hand. He followed with an elbow hit and tried to overpower her with his weight. Meetra pulled her head away from his arm and went for a low kick at his legs. The man had anticipated that attack and countered it fast. Then he spun around for a sidekick aimed at her throat followed by a quick jab at her chest. The jedi blocked his kick with her right leg, took a hold of his arm twisting it and landed him a few knee kicks in the kidneys. He grunted painfully but managed to free his arm and landed a strong kick at her ribs in return. "_Damn that felt like a blaster shot" _-she thought pantng. She pulled back a litle and took her stance again. Meetra closed her eyes and exhaled. "_Let the force guide my moves." -_she thought about her training with the Trákata and the last two weeks when she was trying the basics of Juyo. The sith holocron she had studied was telling her to surrender to her passion but she thought that the sith who made it didn't know the infamous Ajunta-Pall personaly. Because a person who surrendered to his feelings was bound to become a slave to them and they could cloud his judgement. Meetra didn't belive that this Ajunta-Pall who was feared as the deadliest Sith with a saber that ever lived has been a slave to his feelings. She belived exactly the opposite - that he was a master of his passion and anger and channeled them in a pure stream of power and strength. Both physical and in the force. Meetra concentrated just like the masters had tought her. Clearing her mind of all distractions turning her opponent infront of her the only living and breathing thing in the room. She took another deep breath and exhaled again opening her eyes. And then she saw her enemy's strike before he had even begun executing it. A low kick aimed at her knees followed by a high kick towards her neck. Like a lightning she executed her own kicks blocking him just as he had started and followed with powerful side-kicks in his chest and head. Then again she saw like in slow motion how he would try to grab her leg next time she kicked him. She started a feint kick and when his arms shot out she jumped over him and landed a sidekick on his left temple knocking him out cold. Meetra was breathing heavily. The use of the force always exausted her but she was happy because that was the first time she managed to accomplish this feat at her own free will. When she was training blindfolded with practice lightsabers she only managed to hit or reflect something when she got realy angry or furstrated. But this time she managed it without being either of the previos two.

-"You are good, jedi girl!" -she heard a voice from behind her and turned to see the major standing behind her. Now she saw the two small horns on her head. -"I belive it wasn't necessary to kick him so hard in the head but things like that happen in fights." -she commented and waved at two soldiers from her unit to take care of their comrade. -"Your fight wasn't very impresive, but those moves at the end... it's like you knew exactly what he was going to do. It reminded me of an very painful memory. But I had to expected that! After all you are a jedi." -she said with strange expression on her face.

-"Is it true that you have crossed blades with Ulic Quel'Droma?" -Meetra asked her. The officer blinked like in a shock but retained her composure.

-"Did someone from the marines tell you that?" -she asked with a calm voice. Meetra nodded:

-"Yes. They told me that it is said that you fought with him a few minutes before a master took your place. What was he like in a battle?" -the padawan was qurious. The major looked at her with a cold stare:

-"It wasn't a fight! It was a joke to him. He predicted every single one of my moves with enough time to show me few varieties of the very same move I had planned to do. He was toying with my life. And don't try to spare my feelings. I know that they say a jedi master saved my life not that he took my place. It was true. A jedi master indeed saved my life and I watched him getting slaughtered just a few seconds after I had activated my jetpack." -finished the officer. -"That's when I understood that I was alive just because for some reason he felt like playing his litle game with me!" -Meetra nodded silently understandingly.

She had read many materials about Exar Kun and Ulic Quel'Droma and their mandalorian army. Both of the Sith Lords were extrodanary jedis before they turned to the dark side of the Force. And both were masters at their crafts. Ulic had been captured because his own cult had betrayed him and Exar Kun was blasted from the republican orbital bombardment which had annahilated most of Yavin 4's surface. The major's expression softened and she said:

-"Maybe sometime the both of us could do a match against each other?"

-"I would be delighted but not now. I have a litle problem concerning the Force and I am exausted right now. I belive I will go and take a rest." -said the padawan and the major nodded. Then Meetra turned her back on her and left for her bunk. The officer's eyes didn't leave her back untill she had dissappeared. "_This girl has a very unique presence about her."_ -she thought and went back on to her business.

**The Unforgivable seventeen hours later:**

The battleship jumped out of lightspeed. Meetra watched trough the window how it closed in on a brown planet covered with few oceans. Then her holocomunicator beeped and she pulled it out. She activated it and master Kavar appeared on it:

-"Padawan! We are going to be departing in a few minutes. Gather your stuff and meet us on dock 5." -he said and disconnected.

Meetra immediately started packing her things up. After she packed everything she headed towards the dockign bay at the top of the ship. The same one on which they had arrived five days ago. Along her way she passed by few crew members she had familiarized herself with and they bid her their goodbyes. Atris met her at the tunnel leading to the dock and they both entered it along with few officers. The masters were already there and were speaking with the admiral and Meetra noticed that Commander Dodonna wasn't present. It seemed that they would be departing in the same orbital jumper this time too. The two jedis aproached the masters and the admiral. Zhar looked at them and smiled faintly:

-"Ah! Knight Atris! Padawan Surik!" -he greeted them with curteous bows and they replied with the same. -"You can go and take your seats. We have to discuss just a few more things with the admiral which won't take more than one or two minutes." -he said and rejoined the coversation with the other masters.

Meetra looked at Atris and she nodded at her making her way into the shuttle. They took their previous places and awaited their departure. After a couple of minutes the masters also boarded and the pilots started the shuttle's engines.

-"Masters I am not quite familliar with the enclave in which I will be training from now on. I tried to look it up in the evening when you told me about my relocation. There was only basic information about it. Most of the data was encrypted." -she said turning towards Kavar. He looked at her and waved with his hand at the pilots. Meetra felt that he used the Force:

-"The enclave on Dantooine is only known to those that live there, the jedi council and masters and a few families which live close by it. It is an academy where we send out most promising and talented apprantices and padawans to train. With Me, Zhar and Master Lamar there will be four council members present on the planet. As knight Atris probably already knows the dantooininan archive is only rivaled by the one in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. The planet is peacefull, mostly populated by farmers but at the same time the wildlife can be very hazardous and it gives the perfect opportunity for the making of countless trials and training opportunities." -he explained to her and she understood that he must have used somekind of a force technique so the pilots wouldn't hear them.

The shuttle left the ship's dock and in a few seconds was already entering the planet's orbit. The co-pilot activated the ships communications:

-"This is Orbital Jumper 468-432 to ground control! We are requesting docking permission -sending clearance codes .. now!" -the young padawan watched as the battleship entered hyperspace in the distant space.

-"This is dantooininan spaceport-controller three. Your clearance codes have been confirmed. You are free to land in docking-bay seven - over!" -replied a mechanical voice and the co-pilot closed the transmission. The shuttle gathered speed and passed the atmospheric barrier revealing to Meetra enormous green landscapes in every direction she could see. There were just few mountain ranges in the far distance.

Below them she saw the spacedock which wasn't very spacious. There was a small setlement not far from it and she also noticed many scattered farms along the plains.

When they left the docks two jedis approached them. A zabrak male and a zeltron female padawan with long hair which was older than Meetra - she estimated by her looks. They bowed to the masters:

-"Greetings Masters! Master Vandar send us to greet you and provide transportation to the enclave. Please this way!" -said the zeltron jedi. And the group followed them. There were two landspeeders waiting for them outside the spaceport.

The masters and the zabrak got all together in one of the speeders leaving the second for the padawans and Atris. Meetra pulled her backpack down and jumped in the front seat next to the driver's. The knight stationed with the help of the force her luggage at the back-seat and seated herself behind Meetra. The zelton girl took the pilot seat and starting the engine she followed the speeder of the masters. The surroundings quickly became a blurr in Meetra's eyes and she decided to look only straight forward. It was long past midday on the planet and soon the sun began to fade.

After a good hour and a half or probably even two, she saw the outlining of a building in the distance.

-"So what's your name?" -she asked the girl next ot her trying to make small talk. The padawan threw her a quick glance:

-"Carrie!" -she choked a little and after a few coughs she corrected herself; -"I-I mean padawan Carrie Retwin." -she seemed slightly embarrassed.

-"This is knight Atris..." -Meetra pointed at her friend: -"..and I am.." -she couldn't finish.

-"Padawan Meetra Surik. I know!" -said the girl and Meetra gave her quite the startled look. Padawan Retwin probably flushed but she couldn't say because of her pink skin.

-"How do you know me?" -she asked her. The girl threw her another quick glance:

-"Actualy it's quite the news here. You are master Kavar's new apprentice and these news travel fast. It is a well known fact that master Kavar has never taken a padawan before. Years ago he was taking students for very brief periods of time but he stoped doing even that saying that the padawans didn't have the attributes he was looking for and they would waste their time with him. You must be quite the something!?" -she said in one breath. -"So almost everyone in the academy here knows your name." -finished the padawan.

Meetra heard a quiet "_Hm!" _froom behind her and a large smile appeared on her face. It was geting dark at the time they finaly reached the jedi enclave. The building was quite large. It's diameter was probably a few kilometers at-least. The speeders stoped in-front of a small fountain and she jumped out on the stone ground. Two figures were waiting for them a few dozen meters away. An old human and a small green alien which race's name she never found out. The small alien spoke.

-"Awaiting for your return we have been!" -he said looking at master Lamar and Zhar. Then he saw Kavar: -"Ah master Kavar! Good to see you again it is!" -he made a small bow.

-"It is good to see you again too, Master Vandar!" -bowed in retun Kavar. Vandar's eyes turned towards Meetra and Atris:

-"Ah! Knight Atris and Padawan Surik I presume?" -he said with a calm tone almost like Zhar usually spoke. The two girls bowed answering at the same time:

-"Yes Master!"

-"This is Master Vandar! A member of the jedi council!" -introduced him Kavar.

-"Appreciated the introducition is, Master Kavar!" -said the alien with a warm smile on his face and a bit sarcasticaly. Meetra could have sworn that Kavar had rolled his eyes. -"Now come! To your rooms Knight Neemo will escort you!" -finished the master and opened the gate behind him with a wave of his hand.

The group proceeded into the depths of the jedi enclave. After a while they entered into a garden atlest a hundred and fifty meters in diameter with a giant tree in the center. Kavar waved a hand towards Meetra and she stoped beside him:

-"Tomorrow morning around seven o'clock I will wait for you near the tree. We will begin your training and it won't be easy so rest as much as you can! They days here are longer than Coruscant. Good night!" -he said and headed towards a corridor on the other side of the garden with the rest of the masters. Meetra noticed that the jedi named Neemo was calling for her and ran towards him and Atris. He led them in a corridor full with door and she thought that this was one of the sleeping compartments. He stopped infront of a door:

-"This will be your room padawan Surik. Now if you excuse me I must show knight Atris hers! Good night!" -he said and left with her friend.

Meetra pulled the door open with her mind and entered it. The room was larger than the one she had on Coruscant. "_Hmm!That is a rather nice change!" -_she had a table, a large wardrobe, a full human sized mirror and even a terminal with a comfortable chair infront of it_._ She unpacked her things quickly and jumped on the bed falling asleep almost instantly.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Declaration: I do not own Star Wars or any of its characters. This story is purely fanfiction based without the hope of profiting from it. I have just made up a few names that's all.**_

**Chapter Five:**

**Dantooine's academy next morning: 3,963 BBY.**

Meetra had arrived half an hour earlier than she was supposed to. She was siting at the base of the giant tree at the center of the garden. The young padawan was observing the jedis which were passing trough. They weren't many of them. Probably because it was still early. A hooded padawan appeared from one of the corridors. She couldn't see his face but noticed that he was human. Another figure appeared behind him. A very tall human jedi knight who ran after the hooded padawan shouting something at him. The padawan turned sharply and said sometning to the knight then continued on his way. The tall human just shook his head with an amused expression and quickly followed him both dissappearing in the corridor that she and the masters had used last night. "_What a strange couple!?" _Suddenly she felt a hand reaching towards her and turned around seeing quite the surprised master Kavar behind her. It seemed that he had tried to catch her unguarded or something of the sort.

-"Well! That was unexpected. And here i thought I had masked my presence perfectly. Hm! Interesting!" -he said almost whispering. -"Good morning my padawan! I saw that you are here early and tried to suprise you but it seems that I failed misarably." -his face was serious. -"Alright! Come with me! We are going to leave the enclave." -he said and started walking. Meetra followed him without question. She saw that he was carrying two vibroswords in his right hand.

When they went outside of the enclave Kavar headed towards a lanspeeder.

-"I am not going to train whithin the academy, Master?" -asked the padawan a little surprised.

-"No! Not yet atleast. There is a place not very far from here that is perfect for meditating and exercising." -he said and boarded the transport. Meetra jumped right after him her curiosity peaked.

The master started the machine and soon the academy was a very small dot in the distance behind. She noticed that the terrain around the enclave was rather billowy. Meetra saw a pack of some very strange animals near a mound not far from where their speeder passed but she couldn't recognize the species. She saw a rather large mansion among some very large farming fields near a small river. There was quite the large amount on guard droids on the fields and she thought that these lands probably belonged to some-kind of a rich family. A few kilometers later on the other side of the river she saw another large farm also swarmed with droids and workers. Soon after they had passed the second farm Kavar lowered the speed and she saw a small ruin surrounded by large rocks. When they reached it she felt that the place had a strange presence about it.

-"What are we going to do here Master?" -she asked. Kavar exited the landspeeder and looked at ther:

-"You will be doing physical exercises while I will be enjoing the nature of this beautiful world. Start with ten thousand push-ups. In the meantime I will be over there." -he said pointing towards a comfortably looking stone and after he reached it he dozed off.

Meetra stood there staring at him speechless. "_What in the force...?! Aaah whatever!"_ She picked a rather smooth part on the ground and began her push ups. "_By the force what does he think I am? A freaking rancor or something? Ten thousand push-ups!? is he alright in the head? Maybe he has gone senile." -_she thought feling her anger rising with each push up she did. Meetra concentrated and relaxed her mind. _"I just have to do as many as I can. Maybe is is not expecting me to do all of the said number." -_the padawan continued her exercise.

Two hours passed and her arms began to hurt. "_Oh come on I did just three thousand. Focus Meetra! Focus! One more ... and another one.. Relax your mind! I have to try channeling the force trough me!" -_ she tried to concentrate but failed. "_Argh it is imposible."_ -she was geting furstrated and realy exausted. _"There is no emotion .. there is peace..."-_she thought but something came to her mind. "_For one to have peace he has to master his emotions. To control them in a way he wishes them to progress". _She started concentrating realy hard and felt the strange presence again. She grabbed it in her mind and tried to absorb it. Suddenly she felt like she had swallowed a whole bottle of cold refreshing water. Meetra felt new strength flowing trough her. Her arms and joints stopped hurting and she continued her push-ups even faster.

Kavar felt a strange channeling of the force and opened his eyes startled. The master's eyes widened in surprise. His new padawan had been at it for two whole hours already but she looked like she was just starting. He saw that the clothes on her upper body were soaked with sweat but there was not even one drop of it on her forehead or face at the moment. On the contrary. She had closed her eyes and had a faint smile on her lips while doing her push-ups even faster than when she had started. "_What is this strange feeling. I can feel she is using the force with ease but it feels strange. Unlike anything I have experienced before. And the masters told me she had an avarage connection with the force but what is this. Her use of the it is almost at the level of an experienced knight. Did they lie to me for some reason?" _-He was compleately baffled yet again. Then her figure shivered for a moment. Seconds after he saw her he felt an overwhelming presence in the force and turned his head northeast. "_What in the name of the Force. Such power! I haven't felt that way since I saw ..." -_his thought was cut off when he saw a huge piece of rock being ripped out from the mountain which was few kilometers away from them. The rock hanged in the air for a few seconds and then crashed with unbelivable speed and force at something below it.

-"Someone is fighting with something over-there Master!" -he heard from behind him. Kavar turned and saw his padawan lookign at him while continuing her push ups. -"And if I haven't imagined it this one is quite the character. I haven't felt like that even when I met you and the other council members. Master!" -finished his padawan respectfully. -"Master! If you want to, you can go and check out what is going on there. I promise that I will finish my task."

Kavar turned towards the mountain again but he wasn't sensing anything anymore.

-"It seems whatever occured over there is now over. And I probably know who is responsable for these events." -said the master and returned to his comfortable rock. He took a long and appraising look at his apprantice. -"Tell me padawan. Have you exercised in such a manner ever before?"

-"No master. I usualy have a daily routine including a few hundred push-ups, self combat training and stuff like that. Just as any other padawan." -said Meetra. Kavar thought that he had to discuss this development with the other masters. And if they had lied to him he deserved an explanation.

A couple of more hours passed and Meetra finaly finished with her push-ups. She was breathing hard. Her arms and muscles were hurting but not as much as she thought they would after such a hard exercise. She laid on the ground to rest a little and saw an enourmous flying animal far in the sky. The padawan watched it for a few minutes and then raised her upper body in a sitting position.

-"How do you feel?" -asked Kavar who stood up taking one vibrosword in each hand.

-"Exausted. But I can feel my strength returning as we speak. Ever since I left Coruscant I feel like I can use the force more freely than before. This morning I managed to lift a chair in my room almost without concentrating." -Kavar saw that his padawan started thinking about something. -"It got me thinking. If all jedi can feel the Force so freely as I have been the past few hours it is no wonder why I was always failing. Minutes before we felt that overwhelming power i felt like a wall had been lifted from around me. The feeling was wonderful." -she looked at her master who was just a few steps away from her.

-"You, are an enigma padawan Surik! But I feel that you will accomplish great things in your life." -he said and tossed her the sword in his left hand.

Meetra jumped up and cought the sword by reflex. In that instant she heard more than felt a swooping sound and by reflexively ducking dodged Kavar's attack by a string of her hair. She instantly took her favorite form Makashi and started circling her master. "_Makashi! Interesting!"_ -Thought Kavar forming the Ataru stance. He followed her movement for a second and lunged at her.

"_Damn it he is fast!" _-Meetra was thinking while trying with verything she got to not be defeated. "_No wonder the other knights and padawans admire him so much!"_. Kavar was beyond fast. Makashi was her favorite form especially for fighting one on one. She was constantly changing her position and countering his fierce attacks but with just barely enough time to raise her sword to parry yet another following attack. "_Force if I wasn't using this form he would have defeated me over ten times by now!"_ - Makashi was a form where the user didn't need to fully block his opponent's attack but just slightly redirected them. If someone had watched the the fight between the master and the padawan he would have thought that they were performing somekind of very intense dance. Even though Meetra had defeated two knights with this form before she was barely managing to redirect Kavar's attacks never even having time to think for a counter attack. She tried switching from Makashi to Shii-Cho and Soresu. Then back to Makashi but he countered her every time with ease. "_Left block, guard knee, neck, right arm!"_ -she was starting to breathe faster and faster and harder while Kavar seemed as he was having a walk trought the park.

-"Impressive my padawan! When I see your briliant Makashi I wish that I had taken you as an apprantice long ago." -Kavar praised the strugling padawan. He noticed that she was begining to falter: -"Concentrate Surik! Let the force guide your movements!" -he instructed her.

Meetra made a backwards somersault and closed her eyes again. She concentrated and felt yet again a refreshing wave passing near her. She reached at it with her mind grabbing it. The padawan felt parts of her strength returning and opened her eyes. Kavar was watching her with a curious expression. She positioned her left foor a step forward rolling the saber in her hand grabing it in a reverse position making the blade to stand verticaly behind her hand.

Kavar's lips curled into a faint smile. He positioned his right foot a step forward while his left took a step back raising his sword horizontaly with his left shoulder, blade pointing forward. "_Now this will be fun! Let's see how good is she with the Trákata!" -_he thought and waited.

Meetra lunged at her master like a spear. Kavar was waiting for her patiently. Then the exchange of blows began. Both combatants were like lightning. Meetra started with a ferocious flurry of attacks constantly jumping and trying to spin around her opponent. Kavar on the other hand never left her to gather too much precedence. After each of her attacks he replied with a more fearce and faster counter. They fought like that almost ten minutes and Kavar decided it was time to end this. He was amazed how well this padawan, which the council and the masters on Coruscant had out-shunned as an avarage jedi, was performing the offspring form of the Juyo so masterfully. Juyo and Trákata - also knows as the Reverse Juyo- were the most deadly and complicated saber techniques ever created and this young girl at just fifteen years was standing her ground against him. Even if he wasn't concentrating seriously in the force the feat she was accomplishing was amazing. If he was to teach her a couple of years he belived that she could become a much more stronger duelist than him. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

All of a sudden Meetra found herself unable to land a single hit at Kavar. It was as if he saw right trough her movements. Then she realised that ever since they had started this fight he was fighting her without using the Force. Now when he was finaly channeling Ít, it was evident that she couldn't stand a chance against him. Meetra tried one last time to land a hit with a spining motion but Kavar grabbed her hand just as she swung and his blade touched her throat. She dropped her vibrosword in a sign of surrender and her master pulled back the edge of his weapon.

-"I am impressed padawan! Indeed very impressed!" -he said while summoning her weapon in to his left hand. -"What do you know about that technique that you used after the Makashi?" -he asked her.

-"All I know is that this technique is called Trákata and was created by the first Dark Lord of the Sith Ajunta-Pall. Beyond that just the few series of hits I used and that he was knows as the best swordsman in his time" -she answered.

-"I see. Well Ajunta-Pall was a near-human jedi master who along with his followers left the jedi order thousands of years ago. It can be said that they were the first SIth. Althought the true Sith were the native species of the planet Korriban but that is irrelivant right now. Ajunta Pall was the greatest swordmaster of his time. He is one of the few people in this galaxy that had ever mastered the Juyo in perfection. At the end of the Hundred-Year-Darkness war he slew more than ten jedi masters in a single combat. I also belive that noone has beaten his mastery over the sword even now. The technique Trákata is like something of a reverse form of Juyo. That is why in many files of data you can find it under the name of Reverse-Juyo instead. The advantage of the Trákata is that in many of it's attacks your opponent can't predict exactly where you will hit him because you can change your range in a matter of miliseconds. From short to long reach and otherwise. Also if you master it compleately you might be able to execute it's most dangerous hits. If your concentration in the force is strong enough and you can predict your opponent's moves better than him yours, you can deactivate and reactivate your sword in many complex situations and either kill him or gaining an enourmous advantage by wounding him in the fight." -he explained to his padawan.

-"How facinating. But why did he leave the roder in the first place, Master?" -Meetra was very interested in the story of this man.

-"We will discuss this another time. Now it's time we go back to the enclave. Also we will be training here every-day for the next few months." -then he remebered something. -"Also I forbid you to use Juyo or Trákata in the academy. Those techniques are dangerous and if you haven't mastered the basics you can kill someone by mistake." -he said looking at her with steel in his eyes. Meetra nodded understanding him compleately.

They boarded the landspeeder and began their trip back to the peacefull temple. In the distance she saw another speeder heading in the same direction but it was too far away for her to make anything out of it.

**Dantooine: Jedi enclave around an hour later:**

Judging by the sun it was around midday when they reached the compound. Meetra saw that the garden infront of the enclave was quite lively. There were jedi and farmers everywhere. The farmers were probably there to seek help from the order regarding personal matters which they couldn't handle themselves. She remembered that Kavar had told her that the wildlife on Dantooine could prove quite hazardous and understood why the big farms she had seen earlier were crawling with guard droids. When they stopped Kavar tuned towards his padawan:

-"The rest of your day will be free. I recommend that you use it to familiarise yourself with the academy. I also heard that you like to read things connected with the millitary history. In the archives here you can find many topics related to war included such as strategies and tactics used in the last war. Both from the republic and the fallen jedi." -he infirmed her.

Meetra nodded and jumped out from the landspeeder and headed towards the entrance for the academy. When she got there she was surprissed to see a protocol droid standing at the entrance. He looked at her when she closed on him:

-"Accessing enclave data... Target - Padawan Surik. Access granted on all levels withing the enclave." -the robot began to speak. -" Good day miss Surik! Your data has been uploaded and you have been granted access to every level of the academy including the restricted archives. This unit wishes you a pleasant day!" -he finished and the door opened behind him. The padawan proceeded inside.

Meetra took a bottle of cold water from a nearby machine and headed towards the tree in the center of the main garden. She sat down and leaned her back against the metal circle surrounding the base of the tree and took a few sips from her bottle. She felt a familiar presence and saw Atris entering the garden. The padawan raised and waved a hand towards her. Atris saw the signal and headed her way. When she reached her she took a seat on her left side.

-"Hi there Meetra! Where were you the whole morning? I didn't see you anywhere around campus." -asked her the knight.

-"I was training with master Kavar a few miles from here. In the ruins of somekind old srine or something." -she answered her friend.

-"So what are you going to do for the rest of the day? Are you going to practise some more? Or maybe you plan to visit the archives? They have recordings of some very interesting events here."

-"Naah. Not today. I plan to check this academy out. I'm going to study which is where. And I also want to see what kind of training the padawans and the rest of the jedis do here. Kavar said that the brightest in the order train here and I am kind of intrigued." -said the padawan.

She saw the tall human knight she had seen in the morning standing at the other edge of the garden talking with a female togruta knight. He took a look a the two girls standing at the base of the tree and then returned to his conversation. A couple of minutes later the hooded padawan appeared as well. Meetra saw that he was followed by a group of knights and raised a brow in surprise. It seemed like they were all discussing something very important. "_What could a group of knights probably discuss with a mere padawan? Who is this boy?" -_the padawan was a mystery to her and she decided to make his acquaintance in the near future. The hooded jedi scanned the garden with his eyes and it seemed like he found who he was looking for.

-"Alek! Stop flirting with the females and come with us! I found a few things you would like to see and use!" -he shouted at the tall human. The black-haired human looked at his friend while pretending annoyance and waved a hand. Then he bowed to the togruta girl and ran off like a little kid towards the large group of jedis that were waiting for him. His action forced a few of them to laugh and when he reached them they dissappeared further into the enclave.

Meetra turned towards Atris:

-"Who was that hooded padawan? You probably had time to poke around the academy." -she asked.

-"I do not know who he is. But the tall guy's name is Alek. He has been promoted to knight a few months ago. The other knights say that he is very powerful. Also he has left his homeworld after an mandalorian attack many years ago and found refuge in the republic. I belive a master from the council found him and brought him here for training. That is all I know." -answered Atris.

-"Jeez! And all that information after only a few hours asking around. But how come you haven't found anything out about that other guy?"

-"Well I haven't asked anyone yet. This is the first time I see him. That Alek guy left an impression so I asked around. But it seems I will ask around about the padawan as well. He has an unique presense about him. And I am qurious why all of these knights were following him around. Maybe he is the padawan we have been hearing so much about on Coruscant?" -Atris said with a glint in her eyes.

Meetra saw that a group of padawans among with few knights were talking intensly and were throwing glances at her. Atris saw that too:

-"Heh! It seems that you aren't going unnoticed around here also." -she said smiling. -"They are probably debating who is stronger. Their champion or ours."

-"Our champion? What are you talking about?" -asked the padawan confused.

-"Well while I was investigating that guy from a while ago I also heard many jedis talking about you and Kavar. As we have heard on Coruscant there is an unique padawan in this academy. It is said that he has a presense in the force that hasn't been seen in many years or even decades. And the other way around. They have heard rumors about you from Coruscant. It is known that you have beated every padawan posible in the jedi temple and even a few knights. So they are probably debating if you two fought who will be victorious. We wouldn't want to loose to Dantooine now would we?" -finished her friend with a smile.

-"Pft! That's stupid! Ofcourse I will loose! I am only good with the sword. I totaly suck in force techniques. If we fight with swords I am sure I would be able to atlest force a draw. But then it wouldn't count because he wouldn't have used his full power. Today I sparred with master Kavar for around fifteen minutes and all the time we fought he didn't use the force at all. And when he used it he beat me down almost in an instant. That is what a great difference the force makes!" -finished the padawan and Atris was looking at ther startled.

-"In an instant? You? I can hardly belive it! I haven't heard of anyone else ever mastering more than one form at your age. But on the other hand I have only red or heard about Kavar's prowess in battle." -said the knight.

-"There is one other thing I wanted to ask you. How do you fell when you use the force Atris?" -her friend looked at ther surprised.

-"What do you mean? As far as I know everyone feels it in the same way. Like a current running trough you. Sharpening your senses, reflexes and mental abilities. It's like an energy field that surrounds every living thing." -she explained. -"Why do you ask such a thing? Don't you feel the same way when you use the Force?"

-"Yes! Yes it's just as you said. I just haven't ever asked this anyone and I was qurious." -Meetra lied. When she channeled the force she always forced her will to bind that current. It never passed trough her willingly. -"Well! Goodbye for now. I'll see you later after I scout out the premises." -said the padawan and left the garden.

It took her around two hours until she memorized everything in the academy. Meetra found out that the council chamber was rather close to the main garden. The archives were underground and had a whole different entrance leading to them. The training grounds were smaller than the ones in the jedi temple on Coruscant but the number of jedi here was also quite smaller than there and that was making them look rather spacious. She spent the rest of her day watching the younglings train and reading in the archives. Meetra found a rather large library dedicated on the war with Exar Kun, Ulic Quel'Droma and the few mandalorian clans that had followed the first. She always found it curious that only strong and bright jedis have been falling to the dark side. Also she tried looking for materials regarding Ajunta-Pall but she didn't find any. Kavar didn't tell her why he was banished from the order and that bothered her quite a lot but decided to ask him again sometime.

_**I am looking for editors and beta readers if there is any interest. Check my email in my proffile: I hope you like my story. The war will begin officialy after five or six chapters and it will get a lot more interesting.**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Dantooine a few weeks later:**

Meetra was running. She was breathing heavily but evenly. The padawan looked behind her. The pack of wild kath-hounds were gaining on her. "_Blast these animals. It's almost like they gain speed rather than loose any. A normal person would think that atfer twenty minutes of runing they would tire a bit."_ The young jedi turned her eyes on the road infront of her and saw her chance of escape. A few hundred meters ahead stood a river with a watercourse around fifteen meters. Plenty of space to scare the animals from following her. Meetra focused her will and enhanced her running speed with the Force. When she reached the river's coast she jumped with all her strength landing far on the other side of it. The young padawan took a quick glance at the animal pack and exhailed heavily finaly able to take a rest. She picked a rock with her mind and threw it at the animals on the other side. They barked for a while and finaly giving up started returning to their teritory. "_Thank the force for Kavar's strict training program."_ It had been a month and a few weeks since they had arrived on Dantooine. Her first day at training with Kavar turned out to be just a check up on her physical abilities. Her master's full program was taking almost her whole day every day. Meetra hadn't been able to see and speack with Atris for two whole weeks already because her days were spent in the wilderness of the planet along with her master. At first she was very displeased with her graphic but soon after realising how much she was improving she actualy started to appreciate it quite a lot. Thanks to that training she was now able to outrun a whole pack of angry kath-hounds with almost no problems. She satrted walking activating her holo-map looking for her swoopbike. It's posotion was a few kilometers northwest from her. "_Blasted animals! Making me run so far away.I must have been near their lair or something."_ -the kath-hunds were known for attacking people only if they felt threatened or were very hungry. She thought it was the first because the whole pack had chased after her and she had spotted a lot of creatures that were a much easier pray than her. The other reason she had ran away from them was because she didn't want to slaughter the animals for simply protecting their teritory. Meetra focused her mind trying to sense any hostile animals around her and when she didn't sense any the padawan finaly relaxed compleately.

It took her around twenty minutes to reach her swoopbike. There were no signs fo hostility in the area and she quickly decided to abandon the place before any other predators decided that she would be a good snack for them. Meetra jumped on her bike and soon the terain turned into a blurr. The jedi closed her eyes and focused trough the force. It wasn't necessary but she liked to practice her perception while enhancing it trough the Force. The landscape which apperaed in her mind was blurry but she saw enough to not crash in anything. The whole ordeal was very exausting for her but she was determined to put her whole effort into mastering the technique as soon as posible. Mostly because Kavar had told her that this was a critical thing she must learn if she was to progress any further in her saber-techniques. For the past month she had perfected her favorite form - the Makashi - in a way she couldn't have belived possible when she was training on Coruscant. Now when the Force was helping her she was able to withstand her ground against Kavar for around five minutes. And she was improving every-day. There was one thing she never could figure out. When she fought with Kavar or was making physical exercises bending the force was much more easier for her than when she was meditating in the enclave. Even now when she had jumped over the river she had done it almost by instinct.

Meetra opened her eyes and saw the old shrine where they were training. Kavar's speeder was already there. She parked her swoop by ít and jumped out on the grass. She didn't see her master anywhere. The padawan tried to sense him with the force but failed miserably. She unstrapped her vibrosword and taking it in her right arm proceeded around the shrine carefully looking for the older jedi. Meetra tried to sense him with the force again and felt a faint trail of a presence. She concentrated harder and felt that fammiliar current pasing around her. She instantly bended it with her will and at that moment felt him somewhere above her. She quickly turned her head and sword in the direction she felt him and saw a kneeling Kavar on the top of a large column. He blinked in surprise which lasted only a microsecond and jumped with his two swords at her. Meetra focused hard and just before he reached her she threw him with her left hand at the nearest wall. Kavar wasn't taken by surprise and managed to hit the wall with his feet instantly jumping back at his padawan. She barely had time to change her stance in to Soresu. Now when she was advancing in force techniques she was able to use the defensive form to some extend. kavar on his part was using the Niman stance constantly attacking her with both of his weapons at the same time trying to break her guard. He made a somersault while standing in one place and stuck her with incredible force. Meetra fell on one knee under the pressure of the saber-lock. She started thinking fast. The padawan wasn't able to move and she didn't have another weapon to make him retreat and break the lock. She saw a large piece of rock near the column. While strengthening her right arm with the force she extended her left in the direction of the rock. The padawan lifted the large stone in the air and pulled it towards her master with an incredible speed. Kavar kicked her in the chest sending her crashing in to another skewed wall and dodged the rock. Meetra stood up trying to take a breath. She felt like her lungs had exploded after the kick and the wallcrash she had experienced. Suddenly something grabbed her and threw her back in to the wall but this time it pinned her there. Unable to move at all she concetrated as hard as she could to break free from the energy with which Kavar was immobilizing her. She sensed the energy binding her and tried to break it but it only got stronger. She began to feel angry at her helplessness. Meetra tried to focus her anger into power but it still wasn't enough to break the master's technique. After realizing that she wouldn't manage to break it she threw her swrod at the ground admiting defeat yet again. The binding force dissappeared and she managed to land on her legs.

-"Not bad my young padawan! It was a good tactic. Throwing your opponent just as he thought he had cought you unguarded. If you weren't fighting a jedi you could have counted on a few broken bones with that strong push. And then that trick with the stone. Did you use the force to strengthen your right arm? Very quick thinking on your part." -said Kavar who like always looked like he had just returned from a walk in the gardens. -"Now! Why were you so late?"

-"I was ambushed by a pack of angry kath-hounds, Master! I had to run a few miles to escape and separate them from my swoopbike." -answered the padawan. -"Blasted animals were tireless."

-"Strange. Usualy they do not attack humanoids. Maybe you trespassed too deep in to their territory?"

-"I thought something similar, Master! I am sure they were not hungry because I saw many slow-looking animals while I was runing." -Meetra explained.

-"You are progressing better than I expected." -said Kavar. -"But I can't understand why is it so hard for you to use the Force. Everytime we fight I sense that your potential grows but you can't overpower me. Even when I don't concentrate very hard. On the other hand your mastery in saber forms is extrodinary. Even I wouldn't have belived it if I hadn't seen it that you could fight with the Shii-Cho and Makashi soo well almost without focusing the force trough you."

-"I just feel alive when I fight, Master! I do not understand why I have so much trouble with the force techniques but atleast I am geting better since we came here. I am very honored and happy that the council and you choosed to continue my training." -Meetra said and bowed with respect at her master. Then she straightened and looked Kavar in the eyes: -"Master? I haven't seen Atris in quite some time. Would it be possible for you to let me go early today? I promised her that we could see each other this week."

Kavar thought something for about a few minutes and then nodded:

-"Alright! You diserve some rest anyway. Even if I want to break that wall which is preventing you from using your full potential I doubt it will be done in a month or two. After we finish our daily training with the Soresu and do some meditating you will be free." -said the master.

Meetra's eyes brightened and she shook her head with excitement. Then she took on her defensive stance again and they began another duel.

**Dantooine's plains a few hours later:**

Meetra always enjoyed the sound of the air while she rode her swoop-bike on high gear. It was late after midday and the sun was begining to fall. In the distance she heard a pack of wild animals preparing to go hunting. Normaly she wouldn't have heard them but she was enhancing her senses with the force again. The academy popped in her mind and she opened her eyes seeing it in the distance. The outskirts were almost empty by now. There were mostly jedi walking around and only a few farmers with large transport vehicles. Meetra parked her swoop near the central fountain near the small river that was going around the side of the academy like a moat. She greeted a few of the knights she knew and headed towards the garden inside of the academy. Meetra pulled her holocomunicator and activated it. A few seconds later Atris appeared on it:

-"Hello padawan Surik!" -she answered. -"How can I help you?"

-"If you have some free time we can chat a litle in the central garden. Master Kavar gave me some free time and the whole evening is mine do do whatever I want." -answered her the younger girl. Atris thought about something and then nodded:

-"Alright. Wait for me there. I just have to notify Master Dorak that I will be leaving for a while." -said the knight.

-"Roger. I will probably be near the tree." -said Meetra and eneded the connection.

She passed by the protocol droid and entered the long corridor leading towards the garden. When she entered it she saw a large group of padawans and knights surrounding the same hooded boy she had seen more than a month ago. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw that he was wearing black knight robes. The group was quite excited as a whole. Meetra recognized instantly the tall black haired knight standing right next to his friend. He had the look of a child which had received a birthday present. The group was standing rather near the tree and she hoped to hear something from their conversation when she headed towards it. The padawan took a seat near the steel circle surrounding the huge tree and turned her attention to the gathered jedi.

-"It was about time they send you to your trial Master!" -the knight named Alek was speaking and Meetra qurked an eyebrow when she heard him caling the newly promoted knight "Master". -"I bet that whatever they made you do it didn't provide a challenge!" -he had a large smile on his face.

-"I had to persuade a few pirates to leave the planet's surface." -spoke the hooded jedi. -"Lets just say that I had to use an aggresive negotiating with them and few limbs and body parts were lost in the process."

A large number of the surrounding jedi laughed after his remark. The tall jedi just smirked and patted his friend on the shoulder.

-"I knew that you will become a knight way faster than the rest of us. You do realise that you are one of the youngest jedi ever being promoted to knight at such an young age in the order's history?" -he said and Meetra felt the admiration in him towards his "Master".

-"As a matter of fact I do! Zhar hasn't stopped remainding me ever since the masters finished the ceremony." -said the hooded figure and she saw a faint smile appearig on his lips. Another wave of laughter but this time fainter than the last one surged trough the crowd. -"I'f i didn't know him better I would have thought that he wanted to throw me a party or something of the sort."

-"That's the padawan we talked about! But I belive it is rude to call him padawan anymore!" -Meetra heard a familiar voice from behind her and turned seeing Atris standing behind her.

-"What's is his name? This tall guy. Alek was it? He call's him "Master" and I find that strange in all posible ways." -said the padawan. The female knight looked at her:

-"It's not just him. All of his friends - padawans and knights alike - are refering to him as "Master" it's something like a nickname. I find it kind of offending towards the order but many around the academy here say that he is already surpasing many of the masters in all kinds of circles and teachings. And as we see he is barely eighteen and has been made into a knight. I do not like him personaly but if the council and the other masters belive he is ready I can't argue with them."

-"Why don't you like him?" -Meetra was surprised at her friend.

-"When I hear about him from the others his personality reminds me too much of the last specialy gifted jedi that the order had in the last forty years."

-"What do you mean?" -asked the padawan and looked at the group again. They were talking and laughing excidetly.

-"I have red that Exar Kun and Ulic Quel'Droma had the same characteristics as this boy. They were both very gifted in the force, arrogant to some degree and they were all looked upon inside the order. They were alwasys seeking more knolwedge and power. And they both became dark jedi and brought destruction in colosal scales." -Meetra sensed a great deal of distaste in her friend directed at the young knight.

-"Atris? Are you allright? I haven't seen you so upset about such a trifling matter."

-"I am sorry! I just do not understand the Masters. Even if he is so powerful in the force I don't belive they are right in giving him such privileges at such a young age. Power and knolwedge do not grant wisdom and that is a dangerous combination."

-"I can't agree with you. I think that they have made a good choice. I have red about the exiled jedi also. Noone can tell another person how to live his life. Everyone has the right to make his own choice and they had made the whrong ones." -said Meetra and Atris looked at her a litle dissapprovingly. -"I kind of admire him. So young, strong and already a knight!"

-"I bet you do. You always had interest in powerful figures from the order and out of it." -said the female knight. Meetra shrugged with her shoulders. -"Well atleast you always listen what the others with more experience have to say before you do anything." -she finished sounding more like her old self.

-"Alright. Everyone with me to the Dantooinian settlement. Lets have some fun. It's my treat!" -said the hooded knight and the group left the gardens.

-"So how has your training been going on?" -asked Atris.

-"It's going rather smoothly. It's becoming more easy for me to use the force every day. And I am way better with my saber techniques while using the Force than before. I still have many problems in that regard but I am constantly improving." -said the padawan with a large smile on her face.

-"So it seems master Kavar was the right choice for a mentor?" -asked Atris.

-"He is perfect. Briliant while using the sword and powerful in the Force. Also his teaching methods are a bit more aggressive than the other masters and are perfectly fit to my liking."

-"I overheard him talking with master Vandar. I think he said something about never seeing someone mastering fighting techniques so fast and also said that you had a verry sharp perception about hostile intentions?" -Atris looked puzzled.

-"Yes! He said something similar to me also a week ago I think. The thing is that he hasn't been able to ambush me compleately even once during training. Do not misunderstand me. He can erase his presence in the Force perfectly. But everytime he is about to attack me I always feel it. Even today I sensed a pack of kath-hounds lurking near my parked swoopbike from a few hundred meters. I had to make them chase me but that's another matter." -finished the younger jedi. -"So how are you doing?"

-"Well. To say that they have some very interesting information in the archives here will be an understatement. You can't belive how much knolwedge is stored here. Some archives are almost as old as the once on Coruscant. Many events are described with much more specifics. And master Dorak has been of a great help. The man is like a library of it's own. He knows what's in almost every archive." -this time Atris sounded like a little child which had found a candy.

-"Yea yea! I get it! You are having a good time." -said the padawan smiling and Atris also finaly smiled.

-"The jedi here have a lot less to do than the once in the jedi temple and I often conversate with the other knights and sometimes even with the masters. It's a rather nice change. My master always told me that I was too closed of a person."

-"Hey do you want to come with me and watch the aprpentices train?" -asked her Meetra.

-"Sure. Where are they right now?"

-"I belive they are in training room three. It's the one near the councl chamber." -said the padawan and raised herself on her feet. The two jedi proceeded towards the training grounds.

The training room was filled with apparantices, padawans and a few knights. Meetra recognized the zeltron padawan that had been in their welcoming party. A young arkanian knight was instructing her group of padawans in what is seemed like the Makashi saber form. Meetra pulled Atris by her sleeve and shook her head in their direction. The two jedi made their way towards the small group where the pink skinned girls was. Both of them sat on a bench and began watching.

The instructor called the zeltron padawan for a duel. Padawan Retwin - Meetra remembered what her name was - raised her practice sword into a ready position and the knight attacked her. He was using Shii-Cho and his hits were mainly aimed at her arms and wrists. The instructor's attacks were fast and strong. Meetra saw that Carrie was barely managing to counter him. "_Tch! She is doing it whole point in Makashi is to make your opponent's attacks slide along your weapon with as much as less force posible. The form is perfect for redirecting hits not blocking them withl force. What has this guy been teaching them?" -_she thought dissappointed. "_And she is barely moving at all." _The pink girl blinked looking at Meetra surprised and returned her attention on the fight.

-"Can you belive this? Are they just begining to learn the Makashi?" -Meetra asked quietly Atris.

-"No. I have been watching the training sessions from time to time. And I have seen this group a few times practicing many forms, Makashi included. Why do you ask?" -the female knight looked at her younger friend questioningly.

-"Look at her stance. She is so tense and is trying to block his attacks when the whole purpose of the saberform is to redirect them with as much as elegancy as posible. Also look at her feet. It's like she is not moving at all. If I were her opponent she whould have been defeated ten times over by now." -explained the padawan again quietly. The zeltron girl threw her another surprised look but quickly turned her head to her opponent.

-"Do you think she heard me?" -asked Meetra a little embarrassed.

-"I don't think so! I can barely hear you and I am right next to you. She probably felt your disapproval." -answered Atris.

-"Felt? But I didn't feel any force energies going around me!?" -said the padawan looking at the pink girl more intensly. For a third time Carrie threw her a questioning look.

-"Zeltrons are known for having an inborn ability to feel to some extend the feelings of other people without using the Force. And given the fact that this girl is also a jedi it's probably even more easy for her to read the feelings of those around her." -explained the knight.

Padawan Retwin paused the duel with the knight instructor and headed towards Meetra.

-"Have I done something to you padawan Surik? Ever since my duel started your presence became dark and gloomy. Like you are disapproving how i fight. We can't all be gifted as you, you know!?" -she said in one breath. Meetra just stood silently staring surprised at ther.

-"You thought that I ...? No I am disapproving of the one who has been training you!" -now it was turn for the older padawan to be surprised.

-"What do you mean?"

-"What do you mean- What do I mean? Do you even know what the purpose of Makashi is? I have been watching you struggling like an ididot this past two minutes." -Meetra was speaking quietly not wanting the others to hear her. -"You try to block your enemy's strikes when you should be trying to elegantly redirect them. Also you must be in a constant movement trying to disorient your opponent. Yet you barely move at all. It's like you are using Niman and not Makashi. Tell me have you ever danced?" -she aksed.

-"What does dancing has to do with anything here?" -said the pink girl and Meetra saw her cheeks darkening a little.

-"it has to do with everything. The Makashi is like an elegant dance compared to the other saberforms. I belive only Juyo is more complicated in that area but that is irrelevant right now. So? You didn't answer me."

-"Yes I like to dance. So you are saying I shouldn't be trying to block his hits but rather redirect them? And that I have to move more?"

-"Precisely. When you move around your target you have more options for an attack and on the other hand he will have less opportunities to attack you with too strong hits." -explained Meetra. Carrie nodded and returned in the dueling ring. The other padawans were looking at her questioningly. She nodded at the knight and they resumed the fight.

Padawan Retwin had followed Meetra's advice and was now constantly in motion. Never lasting more than few seconds in one palce. She was also trying to redirect her opponent's swings rather than block them head on this time.

-"Do not hold your sword too hard but be careful not to hold it too light at the same time!" -said Meetra loudly. The pink girl nodded while spining around her opponent. The knight had changed to a stance which Meetra didn't recognize and was now attacking her more ggressively. His stance reminded Surik about Juyo but it wasn't so chaotic and he wasn't moving too much around the place. A couple of minutes passed and soon he broke trough the padawan's guard and managed to defeat her. The watching padawans started applauding and Meetra was surprised to see that they weren't cheering on the instructor but the padawan. Carrie returned the training sword to the knight and headed towards the sitting couple. When she reached them she bowed respectfuly at the younger girl.

-"Thank you verry much for the tips. This is the first time I have held my ground against Owen using the Makashi. He is always explaining about forms and techniques and it is so hard to understand. Before you told me I never thought about using dancing in a saber combat." -she turned her head towards her friends which were now standing behind her. One of them closed on her and spoke something in her ear. Carrie nodded and turned back towards Meetra:

-"Me and my friends were wondering if you would like to give us a few more pointers in dueling techniques?" -her eyes were sparkling with expectation.

Meetra turned at Atris. She shook her head in aproval. Then the padawan stood up:

-"Alright. I have free time and I will be delighted to help out." -she said and a few cheers passed trought the small group.

Meetra took a practice sword and began showing and explaining everything she knew about the saberform and didn't even notice when other padawans and even some knights joined the rather large now group of bystanders.


	7. Chapter 7

**I am sorry for the delayed chapter. I had some business at the university.  
**

**I have not red the book - Revan - because from what i have heard even Karpyshyn ****doesn't like his own book aand so there might be events here that will not match with things written there. I still hope you will like the things i write so here is my newest chapter: Enjoy!  
**

**Chapter 7:**

**Bastion in the Sartinaynian system of the Tingle Arm Cluster 3,962 BBY:**

Meetra heard the familiar noise of blasters powering up. She moved instantly sliding behind a large crate and not a second after that few blaster bolts passed over her head and into the steel walls around her. The padawan peeked over her cover and tried to assess the situation she was in. Her current position was in a large corridor with large windows made from glass on the left wall. She counted seven assailants, three of which were slowly advancing on her position. Pulling herself behind cover again, slowly drawing her vibrosword she started concentrating. Meetra studied their positioning through the force. The advancing party was just entering the range she wanted them in, all the while the others were still keeping their current position. She exhaled slowly, lifted the crate she was behind with her mind and threw with with all her might at the stationary soldiers instantly charging the trio standing infront of her. Confused shouts echoed through the corridor when the crate founds it's target and blaster fire erupted all around her. Moving like lightning she sliced the first of the three across the torso and kicked the second sending him flying backwards trough the window. The man she had sliced was wearing light battle armor which didn't stand a chance against her cortosis weaved weapon and he couldn't even gasp before he fell dead on the ground. She had torn his heart along with half of his ribcage. The padawan quickly turned her attention to the third guard. He had regained his composure and his rifle was aimed at her. Instatnly she raised her blade infront of her eyes and a milisecond later the blaster shot rocked her arms. The soldier stared at her with shock and aimed again but it was too late. With a wave of her hand Meetra send him flying straight at the wall behind him. She heard a loud cracking sound which indicated that his spinal cord was torn apart. "_Three down four to go. Thank the Force that the millitary is providing us with top grade equipment!" _The vibroswords along with the vibroblades that most apprantices and padawans were using before they earned their lightsabers were top millitary grade goods. The weapons were extremely expensive but the order's founding was provided for by the senate. The weapons were specialy infused with the rare metal knows as cortosis which was strong enough to withstand a rather good punishment even by lightsabers. And right now that was the only reason her brain was not all around the place. Meetra took cover behind a small wall extention on her right side.

-"She's a blasted jedi! The damned son of a bitch didn't tell us the embassadors were jedi!" -she heard one of the guards shout.

Taking a look at her weapon she saw the burnt mark near the handle where the blaster had stroke along with a very small crack. _"Damn it! If I try blocking more lasers the sword will break no matter what's infused with. I have to get in close with them somehow." _She took a peek towards the remaining enemies and had just enough time to see their position before the blaster fire forced her to withdrew her head again. It was evident that the soldiers had no plans on advancing on her. They were probably expecting reinforcements and were quite satisfied at just keeping her pinned down behind the wall. She measured the distance between them to be around fifty meters. "_Alright! If I'm fast enough I can reach them in three or four seconds. Blast! Plenty of time for them to shoot me to death!" -_the padawan thought grimly but it was a better chance than sitting and waiting for death. She steeled her nerves and took a deep breath closing her eyes. She could almost see them in her mind. Three near the right wall and one near a window on the left. Her lips curved in to an unamused smirk seeing how that guy hadn't taken notice from his friend that flew out of the window a couple of minutes ago. "_Good thing these idiots are just a rag-tag militia and not regular army soldiers." _Exhaling sharply she ran towards the enemy enhancing her movements with the Force. The soldiers began firing instantly forcing her run in zig-zag to avoid the blaster shots. She was upon them exactly in four seconds. Meetra sliced at the closest one but he blocked her sword with his blaster rifle. She followed with a kick in the stomach and the man rolled backwards screaming in pain. An angry shout came from behind her and the padawan had to somersault backwards to avoid the butt of another rifle. The soldier who had tried to knock her out was stunned for a second from her reaction and that gave her the much needed time to slice his head off. His heart had just enough time to spray her with blood before it stopped beating and the now useless body fell to the ground with a loud "thud". Dodging another blaster volley she turned her attention towards the man she had kicked. He was aiming at her from a kneeling position with an expression of great pain on his face. He fired at her but the shot was rather poorly aimed even for a militian man and she avoided it with ease while running towards him. "_Damn that kick I gave him must have torn his spleen." -_the padawan thought and impaled his chest in the middle. The man fell on the ground with a faint gurgles and blood coming from his mouth. She pulled her vibrosword from his body and turned around. Suddenly her left shoulder exploded with pain. Gritting her teeth while trying not to scream she rolled behind a crate. Meetra took a look and noticed with relieve that the blaster shot had just grazed her shoulder bone and it was mostly a flesh wound. She concentrated and tried to at lest stop the bleeding a little. The padawan couldn't stop it completely but at least she didn't fear loosing consciousness from it. She felt her anger beginning to rise and tried to relax "_There is no emotion.. there is peace!.. There is no...Blast it!"_ She jumped from behind her cover. The last soldier had moved near the wall. "_Window or no window.. you are dead!" _She gathered all her remaining power and threw the nearest steel box at him. The crate smashed him in to the wall so hard that the man didn't even have time to scream from surprise. The padawan kneeled near one of the dead soldiers and took his commlink.

Meetra closed on the broken window and looked outside. She was approximately thirty meters above the ground. Taking a deep breath she jumped from the window. The padawan landed hard. The pain in her shoulder was making it very hard for her to concentrate properly and she didn't manage to dampen the fall perfectly. Her legs rocked in pain and she rolled trying to ease the pressure. The girl headed towards a near alley. She needed a rest and time to comprehend what was happening.

She hadn't planned this day to go like this. Meetra had expected to celebrate her birthday with her friends back at the enclave on Dantooine. Instead Master Kavar had received a request from the senate to head an diplomatic mission on Bastion and she as his padawan had to go with him. Meetra didn't know the full briefing on the mission but she knew that Bastion was a planet mainly populated with humans. The Sartinaynian System was one of the oldest outer rim systems that had joined the republic. But recently the Bastion parliament had began pro-human campaigns in the senate and throughout republic space. Recently corellian spies had uncovered that a bastion noble had began developing bio-weapons in a lab concealed as a small ship factory. Kavar was sent under the pretense of being an ambassador who is supposed to inspect Bastion's industrial developments giving him right to inspect industrial properties.

Everything seemed to go smoothly until she and Kavar had split around a couple of hours ago. "_Master Kavar has probably found something very important if this noble ordered his militia to kill us without even knowing that we are jedi." _-she thought and tried to activate the stolen commlink. After a few minutes of tinkering she finally managed to find their frequency:

-"... didn't have an idea they were jedi! He went through a hundred men like an angry rancor." -she heard a panicked man speak. A faint smile appeared on her lips. -"He is going straight towards him right now."

-"Blast it! He doesn't pay us enough to fight the jedi. What happened with the girl? She must have been his apprentice or something. Did you manage to capture her at least? We can use her as leverage and make a run for it! Screw the nobility!" -replied an angry female voice.

-"No sir! When we reached her last knows position we found only the bodies of our men."

-"Are you fucking kidding me? She didn't even have a lightsaber. Are you telling me that a girl with a frigin sword killed seven soldiers armed with blasters?"

-"Ma'am if you saw what damage she has done you wouldn't speak like that. All that is left from LT. Kienaan is a bloody stain on the wall. She literally smeared the wall with him. At least it seems someone managed to wound her. We found some blood which isn't from our guys." -finished the guard.

-"Find her before her master finds her! We can negotiate with hi... blast! He just sent some kind of a message off-world..." -a pause and a sharp inhale. -"Gather your men we are leaving!"

-"Sir?" -Meetra sensed in his tone that the soldier was utterly confused.

-"A frigin republic fleet just entered Bastion space. It's going to be a shit-storm down here and I prefer not to face the firing squad. Gather the men and meet me at the coordinates I am sending you! We are leaving. The gods damned politician is on his own! I am never setting foot in this sector again." -said the officer lady and the transmission was cut off.

The young padawan sighed with relieve. All she had to do now was to rendezvous with Master Kavar at the dock where they had landed. Grinding her teeth in pain she pulled herself up and headed towards her destination. She heard a high pitched noise above her. Taking a look at the sky she saw a few squadrons of fighters entering the atmosphere and engaging the ships fleeing from the factory.

**Bastion's main spaceport one hour later:**

The spaceport was a mess. A few republic cruisers had docked by the time the padawan reached it and the whole place was crawling with soldiers. "_Hmm something isn't right here. A whole fleet was sent to capture one noble? Even if he was producing bio weapons that could have killed millions that was a bit of an overkill!" -_she thought to herself and decided to ask Kavar what had happened, for him to summon a whole fleet in. The girl left her hiding place and headed towards one of the entrances surrounded by soldiers. One of them saw the wounded girl and gave a few orders that she didn't hear because of the distance. The soldiers turned their attention towards her and cautiously arming their weapons made their way to her.

-"You! Girl! Identify yourself! You are not wearing a militia or military uniform but that is a blaster wound on your shoulder. Explain yourself or we will arrest you!" -said the soldier that had spotted her with a cold tone. The others were holding their weapons at the ready waiting even for the slightest sign of a threat.

Meetra didn't even flinch from his threat. She knew that her status as a padawan was automatically giving her at lest a Lieutenant Commander rank in the fleet.

-"I'm padawan Surik! I require medical attention and I want to meet with Jedi Master Kavar! We were separated a while ago and I want to inform him that I am alright." -she said.

It seemed like the man didn't believe her because all he did was frown:

-"You don't look like a jedi, girl! Such claims can get you into a lot of trouble. I will let this go this time. Now go to a hospital and treat yourself there! We are rather busy here." -he turned his back on her -"Come on people back to our post. The Admiral doesn't appreciate..." -his comment was cut off when he was lifted off the ground and rolled over with a yelp coming from his mouth.

The soldiers instantly took aim at the girl but the levitating man stopped them:

-"Arms down you idiots!" -he shouted and she dropped him down. -"Were you really going to shoot a jedi padawan?! Morons!" -he shouted disbelievingly. It seemed that he wasn't angry at her but at the same time he was outraged with his men. The officer turned towards Meetra: -"My apologies padawan Surik! A few bombing attempts were made in the past ten minutes and we are all on edge. It's just that all the jedi I have met were wearing rather unique clothes and yours are not like them. I will call for a medic right away." -he told her and then turned towards the others: -"Idiots! Don't you realise that she is not just a jedi but also outranks us all at the same time in the military. Imagine what would have happened to us if you had killed her. Now call for a medic and escort her to where her master is! He is currently with Vice Admiral Karath near dock 104." -he finished and Meetra nodded to him in appreciation.

After the medic treated her wound with a kolto med pack and bandaged it the padawan followed one of the soldiers in to a lift which was supposed to lead them where Kavar and this Karath were supposed to be. After a few minutes they reached the communications floor of the dock. The entire area was filled with soldiers and hurrying officers. She spotted six marines with black armor guarding a large office at the end of the space. _"Commandos! The admiral must be there."_ The man beside her pointed at it and after executing a brief salute turned back in to the elevator and left. The girl headed towards the room. The black armored soldiers also saluted her when she passed them and she nodded courtly back at them.

Kavar and the admiral were standing near a holocommunicator at the end of the office and were discussing something. After seeing her Kavar raised a hand at Karath and smiled.

-"Padawan! I am happy to see that you are alive and well. I was rather concerned when I couldn't reach you so I send scouting parties immediately after the cruisers docked." -he said and it was evident that he was most relieved. -"I managed to tap in to the enemie's frequency and headed at your location as fast as I could but when I arrived you were already gone. When the shooting began i feared the worst."

-"Master! What happened exactly. One moment they are so polite and everything and the next they try to blast my brains out!? I suppose you found something that was unpleasant for our host?" -she asked.

-"Indeed I did! It turns out that he wasn't alone in this whole affair. I managed to hack a console with some very sensitive information which revealed over a dozen bastion officials and nobles were working together in this. They had revealed that corellian spies had sniffed something out and decided to sacrifice lord Landwr by incriminating him as the only guilty party and sending the senate off of them."

-"And the senate predicted that and so they prepared a whole fleet at the ready?" -Meetra was skeptical.

-"No, no! It just happened so that Admiral Karath here was just in the sector and intercepted my message." -he laughed. Meetra blinked once and looked at the admiral. She had forgotten that he was here and slapped herself mentally.

-"I am very sorry Admiral! Padawan Meetra Surik sir!" -she introduced herself and bowed slightly. The man just laughed lightly:

-"A pleasure padawan Surik! Vice Admiral Saul Karath at your services!" -he introduced himself in return. -"Actually we were on our way to Telos when we heard Master Kavar's message but I immediately averted our course. We managed to apprehend most of the culprits but sadly a few managed to escape."

-"The fleet was on it's way to Telos? Why?" -Meetra was fairly interested in that matter.

-"Well young lady. As you probably know the Mandalorian clans are becoming more and more aggressive each month. They are making skirmishes very close to our borders and when we rendezvous with the rest of the fleet over Telos we will head to the Expansion Region. Sightings of them have been made around the Serocco system and as it is a Republic space High Command has decided we should put larger patrols there."

-"I understand! I also have been keeping a track of their movements for the past few months with a few friends." -she said. Kavar gave her a curious look which she failed to notice. -"Admiral! A friend of mine believes that they are preparing for a large scale war with the republic. What is your opinion on the matter?"

The admiral looked a little startled by her question but he composed himself instantly.

-"I do not know on what this friend of yours bases his deductions but I do not believe they will attack us. Each one of out fleets is ridiculously outnumbering theirs. We have billions of systems in the Republic and even if we have massive casualties they can be replaced easily. The mandalorians may be fearsome warriors but they must be suicidal to go on a full scaled war with us."

The admiral sounded very confident but Meetra had listened the debates between the masters and "The Revanchist" - that was the way Alek and the rest of the jedi on Dantooine referred to the young jedi knight she had heard so much about in Coruscant. It was strange that they didn't use his name and even stranger he didn't tell it to anyone but who was she to judge. Alek had introduced her to him a couple of months ago and she was fascinated with his views. Both political and over the jedi order. He had actually been pleased when he learned she had trained with various masters at the Jedi Temple because it seemed he also didn't have an official master. His knolwedge over the force was stunning for a person at such a young age and she was finding the time spend in his presence and listening to his theories over the force enchanting and fascinating. He had a few vies that were just like her own.

-"So Master? Does this means your work here is finished?" -she turned to her master.

-"Yes! I just have to contact the Jedi Temple to inform them of what transpired here and we will head back to Dantooine." -just then he saw the hole in her clothes. -"You were shot? How is your shoulder? Is it serious?"

-"I am alright Master. It is mostly a flesh-wound. The medics inserted kolto and it will be alright after a few hours. I had stopped the bleeding long before and there was no infection."

-"Hmm! Alright!" -Kavar said but she felt that he was thinking about something serious. -"Well then!" -he turned to the admiral: -"I thank you again for your cooperation Admiral and bid you farewell. May the force be with you!" -he bowed slightly and both jedi left the room.

**Dantooine six hours later: **

It was early evening when they reached the dantooinian spaceport and the sun was beginning to fade away. Meetra and Kavar hired a land-speeder and headed towards the academy.

-"So you are friends with the popular guys already?" -said Kavar with a grin on his face.

-"Master?" -the padawan looked at him curiously.

-"There is only one particular group of jedi which debate on the mandalorians in the enclave. And I have seen you hang out with Alek and his friend a lot these days." -he said.

-"You do not approve, Master?"

-"No, no! It's not like that. Just be mindful around them. Especially their leader. Some of the things he is suggesting are not very jedi like. I have seen war and believe me that even jedi can't make much of a difference in one."

-"But Master! All he is suggesting is that if there is a war the jedi order should fight for the Republic. We all have heard of the mandalorian's exploits in the outer rim and how they sometimes annihilate whole planets. Aren't we sworn to protect the republic and it's people?" -asked the padawan.

-"We are! But sometimes there are things even worse than wars and annihilated worlds." -answered her master cryptically.

Meetra's eyebrow raised slightly:

-"What does that mean Master?" - Kavar sighted lightly and shook his head

-"Nothing. Nevermind that now, someday you will understand. And by the way- Happy sixteen birthday." -he said and pulled a small packed from under his cloak. The padawan's eyes grew large.

-"Master you knew?!" -she asked disbelievingly while taking the small package.

-"Of course. I didn't plan on you getting shot today but the Force works in strange ways." -he said with a smile.

Meetra unpacked her gift and saw that she was holding a small holocron.

-"This holocron contains the knowledge of an jedi master who was proficient in Juyo and Makashi." -he said and looked at her -"Sounds familiar?" -his smile grew.

-"Thank you very much Master. What is the name of the master who made this holocron." -she asked with her eyes sparkling with anticipation to tap in to this new-found knowledge.

-"Sadly I never found out! He has never mentioned his name when I use the holocron. He probably made it that way on purpose. I found it around twenty years ago on Yavin Four. It helped me improve my saber techniques a little."

-"Yavin Four? Wasn't that the moon where Exar Kun was defeated?" -she asked.

-"Sadly yes. Now more than half of the moon is nothing more than burned craters. But I found it before he made his base of operations there." -answered the master.

Meetra poured a small amount of energy in to the holocron and felt s strange sensation. The unusual cube became cold and warm at the same time. it was like nothing she had experienced before. Then a familiar sensation crawled over her body. The same sensation which she experienced every-time she was channeling strong pulses of the Force. It was faint but it was the same no mistake about it. The girl forced herself from binding the faint link. She blinked and turned her head to Kavar. in the process she noticed the academy in the distance.

-"Did you fight in the war Master Kavar?"

-"Just in small skirmishes. I was just a padawan at that time. The war effort was directed by Jedi Master Nomi Sunrider and the other council members at that time. Did you know that she herself managed to cut Ulic Quel-Droma from the force and while doing that she won half the war?"

-"Cut from the force? How can you cut someone from the force Master? I have never heard or read about that before." -Meetra was quite startled by these news. Like all the jedi of her generation she knew who Nomi Sunrider was but she had never imagined she had had such control over the force. To sever one from the force.. It was unimaginable for her.

-"We are not quite sure ourselves. It is a very dangerous and old technique the order has used only a few times in it's history and only on criminals that had done unimaginable crimes against the society. It usually takes a few master which are very strong in the force to do it. But she was rather special." -explained the older jedi. Meetra nodded in silence.

The front of the academy was in full view now and it took them around five minutes until they reached it. Kavar parked the speeder and they made their way in to the establishment.

-"Alright Meetra, I have to discuss a few things with the rest of the council members. You can go about your business. The day is not dead yet, go to your friends." -he said and dismissed her. The padawan bowed and headed towards the main garden.

The girl instantly spotted the group she was looking for standing near the tree. Alek was also among them. It seemed they were in a rather heated conversation. She hurried to hear what the news was about. When she neared them Alek's head turned towards her and he smiled.

-"Ah padawan Surik there you are. I take it your trip went smoothly?" -he asked with a smile on his face.

-"Well, not exactly. I got shot in the arm." -replied the girl. His eyes narrowed slightly.

-"What happened? Weren't you with Master Kavar?"

-"Well yes! But we got separated for a while and then all hell broke loose. But things turned alright at the end." -she explained.

-"Ah right I remembered. Happy birthday Meetra!" -he said and his smile returned in it's full glory. -"Master also wanted to congratulate you but some things came up and he had to leave for a while." -he said apologetically.

-"No problem. When he returns. I am more interested in what you are discussing?" -she asked him.

-"Well. The thing is Master plans to go in the outer rim and scout out the Mandalorians. Many of us are going to follow him." -he started.

-"Well what is there to discuss about? If you want to go you go. I don't get what the big fuzz is about."

-"The fuzz is about that some of the padawans also want to follow us. Not just the knights and a few masters. So now we are discussing what should we do. The final word will be Master's but you know us jedi. We love a good pointless conversation." -he finished and a few of the surrounding jedi laughed. -"By the way that friend of yours, Atris I believe her name was, was looking for you today. She probably wanted to congratulate you also. Said that if I met you to tell you she will be in training hall one."

-"Thank you Alek. Well I will be going then. And good luck with your endeavors. May the force be with you all." -she bowed respectfully to the jedi knights and left.

When she left the garden one of the knights turned to Alek:

-"There is something special about this girl. She has almost the same presence like him." -he said.

-"Yes. He has said it himself a couple of times. He says that she is very talented and it's true. I am sure that she will prove a good challenge in saber combat even for me. Although her presence in the force is rather weak. Master believes that she will do great things in her life when she masters her talents." -said the tall man. Then the two jedi returned their attention to the "important conversation" they were having.


	8. Chapter 8

**Just a few words about my work;**

**As you probably know in the game Knights of the Old Republic 2 - the Exile has been Revan's left hand during the Mandalorian Wars - Alek(Malak) being his right. As i remember it it was cannon that she was his best general and one of his best tacticians(not strategist - tactician). Also during the war she became a better duelist than Kavar and even trained Revan in Juyo(he learned Trákata himself later on Korriban when he became a sith lord). If you have played the game you probably know that the Exile grows stronger with death, destruction and chaos around her. As we know the jedi receive their power from the Force- all living things around them. They let it guide their lives and so on. The problem i see is that the sith do the very same thing, only they do not let the force guide them but instead they control Ít through anger and hate. The Force is all about balance. Black and White and Life and Death. The way i see it the Exile is special because her power feeds on the aspect which neither jedi nor sith control - Death(except a Sith lord - i forgot his name- who managed to control life and death). Also her full potential was unlocked after the events at Malachor V. Enough of my blabbering enjoy:**

**Chapter 8:**

**Dantooine : 3.962 BBY:**

Meetra held the small holocron in her right hand. A few days had passed since her birthday. She calculated that it had been almost an year since she had come to Dantooine to train with her master. "_My master!" _She liked that. After five years of constantly changing master she had finally found the right one for her. Kavar was strict and uncompromising but at the same time she had found out that she enjoyed his tutoring immensely because she had almost the same personality. She had been in a few missions with him already - including the last one on Bastion - and as she saw it Kavar had only one rule - "Get the job done". She was surprised at first at him. "_In a fight the first thing you do is protect yourself - if it means you have to kill - you do it. We may be jedi but if a person tries to take a life he must be prepared to also loose his own. Of course if there are civilians around, you must protect them at all cost. Those are my rules. Some of the jedi masters do not approve but I am from the few jedi that have seen war and chaos firsthand and it is not pretty. We can't protect anyone if we die!"_ The padawan remembered their conversation in the night after Bastion and smiled faintly. Kavar had said that The Revanchist's views were not so much jedi like but at the same time his own were very close to what the young knight was constantly trying to convince the masters in. He was trying to beat it in to their heads that the jedi can't protect the galaxy and the Republic by constantly debating in peace in their temples and enclaves. They had the power to change things where no-one else could. Meetra was in total support for his theory that the mandalorians were preparing a massive strike in the near future. She was baffled by the dismissal the masters and the senate were giving his theories even with Alek at his side. "By the Force" the man had first hand experience with them and he never missed a chance to say how ruthless they were. She wasn't very good with strategies but even she could see that the clans were occupying key systems near the Republic's border which would be strategically invaluable to their war effort if they decided to attack.

The young padawan returned her attention back to the holocron. Meetra had decided to check out what was stored inside. The holocron was rather small and she had decided that there wasn't much knowledge stored inside(all in all she didn't know much about holocron crafting). She concentrated and filled it with the Force. Instantly she felt the familiar wave around her. The holocron began glowing and a small figure appeared above it. It was a man she thought. Not entirely human but very close to one. Meetra didn't recognize the specific race he belonged to. The figure was shrouded in a light long black cloak - like all the once the masters she had seen wore. The man took a look at her:

-"Hmph! Another whelp seeking knowledge?"

Meetra was startled. Most of the holocrons she had studied were resembling a holo-projections. The figures explaining the contents of them were like narrators. She had heard that there were holocrons made by very powerful jedi which were like living things but she had never seen one. It was rather strange for her. The small figure took a look around the room. He raised one brow and cleared his throat:

-"I am sorry for my early outburst. I see by your clothes that you must be a jedi padawan? Am i right?" -asked the holocron.

-"My name is padawan Meetra Surik. And you are?"

-"Well .. now! That is the real question isn't it?" -said the tiny jedi. -"Let's say i don't have a name. I prefer to be considered an enigmatic figure." -he smiled wickedly.

Meetra found his response a little strange.

-"So what can i do for you padawan? Have you come seeking knowledge about sword fighting techniques? Because if you haven't you are wasting your time with this holocron for all that it contains is related to that." -said the man with way calmer tone that before.

-"Master Kavar told me that you could teach me things about Makashi and Juyo." -she said.

-"Kavar? That boy has become a master? As a partial print of the person that made me I can't tell how time passes by. Well he was rather gifted with the blade for a beginner. Good for him."

-"I must say you don't sound like a jedi at all." -said the padawan. The holocron image raised a brow again.

-"Well we are all special in our own way aren't we now?" -he blurred out and she looked at him baffled. Then he laughed lightly but Meetra felt a strange cold shiver pass trough her. -"I sense something in you." -he said suddenly. -"Something familiar but i can't put my finger on it. Even I can sense that you are not very strong in the Force. Tell me for how long have you been a padawan girl?"

-"Around six years. Why? What does it matter? You yourself said that you have only knowledge related to saber combat."

He studied her for a couple of moments then straightened:

-"Indeed I did. So you think you can master one of the most complex fighting styles? I must warn you girl that Makashi is not like your kiddie Chii-Sho and Djem So forms that you have studied." -he said in all seriousness

-"Djem So? I haven't heard of that form before." -she said with eyes wide open and confused.

The man looked at her horrified:

-"What in the force? Djem So is the most basic and efficient saber form for blaster deflection. It was invented shortly after the lightsabers became the primary weapons for jedi...and sith alike. What are they teaching you younglings these days?" -Meetra noticed the rather strange delay when he said "sith".

-"Do you by any chance mean Shien?" -she asked puzzled.

-"Shien? Yes ...yes that would make sense... both forms were rather incomplete at my time." -the man from the holocron was talking more to himself than her. He looked at her: -"So Djem So and Shien have become one technique? Rather interesting development but I must say whoever though about it was ingenious. So anyway... as i said these forms are babies compared to the Makashi." -he finished.

-"Well. I am rather competent in Makashi myself. And I am also rather proficient in Juyo if I may say so." -she said trying not to sound too full of herself.

-"Ha! A youngling like you? Proficient in Makashi and even Juyo!? I hardly believe it. That boy Kavar said almost exactly the same thing. Turned out he indeed knew a few techniques about the Juyo but I must inform you they were very, very sloppy. All in all he didn't impress me much." -said the hooded jedi with amusement in his voice.

Meetra just stared at the hologramic image of the jedi. Kavar had been considered a prodigy about lightsaber combat even in his youth. Yet this man whoever he was was telling her that he wasn't impressed by him at all? The jedi master was recorded among the jedi archives as one of the best sword-masters among the order. She began to wonder if Kavar hadn't given her this holocron in an attempt of a joke of some kind. Out of nowhere she began to get angry. She hated it that she was so weak when the Force was concerned. She had prided herself in her talent for saber-techniques but Kavar had shown her that even there she was nothing compared to him. After the whole mess on Bastion - when her master separated himself from her.. when she had to fight for her life without even knowing what was happening... and then after she found him he had just said one short "Sorry!". She was so happy that he had given her this holocron which was supposed to contain knowledge that would be useful for her. But the imprint of the person in it only sounded like an arrogant self-serving bastard.

Meetra tightened her grip over the holocron angrily. Breathing heavily she tried to recite a part of the jedi code in her mind. "_There is no emotion... there is peace!" _Strangely it didn't help her from the first time so she did it again. "_There is no emotion... there is ...Wait!" _She blinked when she felt something poking at the end of her mind. "_How can there be peace without emotion." _She had never given this specific part of the code much thought. _"Why do the masters always preach about controlling our feelings." _Then she realised something. _"Control! That's it! The masters always tell us to control our feelings." _Then she remembered that precise sith holocron she had studied. She remembered what she had thought about him. The Sith had talked about Ajunta-Pall and surrendering oneself to passion, hate and anger. Her own thoughts about these things were that if one surrendered himself to feelings he would loose clear perspective around himself. Things she had red about the legendary Sith Lord showed that he must have been full of hatred and anger to do the things he had done, but she also believed that they never controlled him. In fact she believed that he was in full control over his actions both when he had been a jedi master and later in history when he had become the first Lord of the Sith. "_Control! Both Jedi and Sith alike exercise control over the Force to achieve their goals. Why haven't I seen that before?"_ Then she remembered the things she had learned and heard from Alek's friend over the past months she had spent in his company. He was always talking about one controlling his own fate and making his own destiny when the jedi masters were stubborn and preached that they had to let the Force guide their actions and lives. "_The Revanchist is right!Only when one achieves control over himself he can begin building his own future and destiny!The force was just a tool used for achieving that goal. After all, the jedi order was not much younger than the Republic herself and she was more than certain that the jedi were not the first force users. Even now force sensitive artifacts were being excavated on Tython(the jedi order's home-world) which were predating the order by hundreds of years. Even the holocron technology was first invented or discovered by the Sith by at-least three thousand years before the Jedi did." _Meetra took a deep breath and forced her anger away. The young padawan had closed her eyes and failed to notice the fairly intrigued and serious way the holo-jedi had been observing her.

The partly artificial man had instantly sensed the anger which had boiled out of nowhere in the young girl holding his holocron. It was amusing for him watching her inner conflict. Yet another foolish young jedi filled with anger. He gave her about ten years before she turned to the dark side. Even if he was just an imprint of his whole self he had made sure that the holocron was perfect in any way possible. He was able to feel certain things in his surroundings. He didn't know how many years or even millenia had passed since his creation but for all this time he had never met anyone he deemed worthy of the full knowledge stored in his mind. He remembered his first meeting with Kavar. The young jedi Knight had told him that he had found the holocron on a moon called Yavin Four. He didn't know it but it seemed that his last owner hadn't been able to even activate him. Through the few months Kavar had tried to study his knowledge he had found out that the young man had potential. It was nowhere near the level his original self but he had decided to teach him a few things. It was interesting for him because unlike himself Kavar was using two lightsabers. _"Ah the lightsaber. What magnificent creation. I don't remember who invented them but i wish i could hold a real one right now." _-the tiny jedi thought to himself. Then he felt a shift in the feelings of the young girl which was holding him. He took a curious look at her. The anger was still evident in her but he sensed that her mind was calming at the same time. _"Well now! Isn't this an interesting turn of events?"_ The padawan's expression suggested that she was thinking about something complicated. A faint smile appeared on his lips "_Heh! Jedi and their never-endless thinking. Always thinking and debating. Never taking any true action until it is too late. Force damned hypocrites!"_ In an instant the anger he was feeling from her disappeared and she opened her eyes slowly. He blinked startled. The padawan eased her grip over him a little and took a slow breath. Then she looked at him. A cold wave passed through his holocron - his very being. His eyes flew wide open. The girl hadn't forced her anger away. She had just simply locked it inside her mind like an caged animal - waiting to unleash it on something. "_By the force ... I'll be damned. The only other person i know doing this so young was..." _his thought was left unfinished because the girl spoke to him:

-"Listen! I don't know who you are or what knowledge you posses. My master said that I can improve my saber techniques if i study you. But now i am beginning to think that he may have pulled a fast one on me. It's not his style but I have learned that people can always surprise you." -she said with her eyes narrowed.

-"Alright young padawan! Show me what you've got and we will see." -he said in all seriousness.

Meetra stood up. She left the holocron levitating in the corner of her room and pulled her vibrosword out. "_Well well. So unlike her master she uses one sword? A girl after my own heart."_ -the holo-jedi thought with amusement. The girl began executing saber-techniques under the watchful and rather intrigued eyes of the ancient holocron.

**Dantooine - later that day.**

Meetra practiced for a few hours in her chamber. After she finished, the holojedi had told her that he was willing to teach her. She only hoped that it would be worth the time spent on this endeavour. It was around noon so she decided to grab something to eat at the cafeteria. There were only few jedi present when the padawan reached it. She saw Atris eating alone near the windows and after packing a small lunch made her way towards her.

-"Hey Atris. I'ts rare to see you in here." -Meetra greeted her friend. The jedi knight looked at her and smiled:

-"Hey I like to stay in the company of other people just as much as everyone else!" -she answered and waved her hand in indication for the padawan to sit in-front of her. -"It is nice to see you by the way."

-"So what are you doing these days? I haven't seen you at all since my birthday. Anything interesting going on?" -the young girl asked and dug into her food.

-"Actually yes! I found the location of some-kind of an ancient burial ground about a hundred miles from here. The archives didn't have any information except the location - which I found very strange - so I decided to go and explore them today."

-"Hmm. Interesting. I want to go with you. I'm not doing anything today anyway." -Meetra said hopefully.

Atris gave her one of her "I'll think about it" looks and was about to say something when jedi knight Alek popped out near their table like almost from thin air along with an young female padawan at his side. The girl was younger than Meetra probably around thirteen or fourteen but she felt that she was probably only slightly stronger than her in the Force. She instantly squeezed her fork "_Another padawan years younger than me yet almost as strong as me. In an year she will be stronger. Damn it!"_ -then she mentally slapped herself for that moment of weakness on her part. She knew that it wasn't the girl's fault that she was weak. Kavar had said it himself that Dantooine trains the most powerful and promising jedi in the order. She felt a weak pulse of energy coming from the holocron in her pocket but didn't pay it much attention.

-"Good day to you ladies!" -he greeted them with his usual warm smile. -"Would you mind if I and padawan Shan here join your company?" -he asked while waving his hand at the youngest girl among them.

Atris narrowed her eyes and was about to say something but Meetra was one step ahead of her and spoke first:

-"We will be delighted!" -she said and threw a "Come on now play nice" look at Atris. The female knight just "Huffed" but moved a little so the girl could sit next to her while she made space for the tall knight. Meetra was fully aware that her friend didn't approve of Alek's "Master" and their small community. She then looked at the younger girl and introduced herself and Atris: -"Nice to meet you padawan Shan. I am Meetra Surik and this is knight Atris. I must say I have been here for some time now and I haven't seen you before."

-"That's because she is a new arrival. Their shuttle docked a few hours ago and she was assigned along with two others to be under mine and Master's supervisions until we are still here." -answered Alek.

-"That so? Kind of strange to assign you padawans when you have probably only one week max left here. The others are saying that The Revanchist is deadly determined to scout out the outer rim before the actual war begins." -Meetra pointed out rather bluntly. While Alek let one of his amused laughs out the new padawan turned her attention to Meetra:

-"I still haven't met knight Alek's master. And it's like everyone in this academy speaks of this Revanchist with high regards. Is he a powerful master? Is he a council member? I have heard a few things about him on Coruscant but nothing specific." -she said.

Just like Meetra suspected Alek instantly burst in to laughter while Atris looked like a storm cloud. After a few seconds the tall knight finally stopped laughing and looked at the rather startled and confused girl.

-"No Bastila. The Revanchist is not a master. Not in the true meaning of the rank. He is a jedi knight like myself and Atris. And he is also the one I refer as "Master" because I admire his knowledge, strength and wisdom which I am sad to say elude some of the true masters of the order." -he explained.

-"But isn't it offensive to call him master when he is not?" -asked the girl baffled.

-"Well, some might consider it offensive but it's not like everyone refers to him as a Master. Come to think of it actually I might be the only one. And we are best of friends. It's kind of complicated but the other masters aren't making an issue from it." -Alek said and the ever-present faint smile returned to his face. Padawan Shan nodded in understanding. Meetra noticed that Atris was still in a bad mood but she couldn't do anything about it. Alek then turned towards the older padawan: -"The masters probably think that by appointing this responsibility to us they will manage to change his mind to leave. But what can I say, everyone can dream! Right?" -he finished and smirked wickedly. Meetra couldn't hold it in anymore and let out a laugh on her own earning a cold stare from Atris. -"So Meetra!? How is your training progressing? I can feel that you have somehow changed a little in the past few days."

-"What do you mean Alek? I haven't done anything out of the ordinary since my birthday!?" -she answered him confused.

-"Well I can't quite put my finger on it but you seem rather more in control. Your lets just call it "aura" is far more stronger than the last time we spoke. I must say I am quite impressed." -said the jedi knight. For Meetra's surprise Atris cleared her throat quietly and she turned her head towards her:

-"Knight Alek is right. I am also sensing a change in you. It is rather subtle so at first I wasn't sure that this feeling was coming from you but now when he has felt it too and confirmed it I am also certain about it. To me you always seemed determined but now it's like you are much more focused. That is at least how I can describe this feeling I get from you. It's rather strange."

-"Well that is the first good news I have heard in some time. It seems my training is finally starting to pay off. I will also take this as a complement from the both of you." -Meetra said with a large smile on her face. -"For that tonight I am treating you to a cinder of alderaanian beer Alek!" -she turned to her female friend -"You too Atris if you want?"

-"I will pass on getting drunk." -she answered. Meetra raised her brow:

-"Come on. You know that with a little help from the Force we can drink as much as we want without getting ass drunk."

-"Well... you see ... I haven't mastered that particular feat yet because I don't drink alcohol." -Atris answered reluctantly earning surprised looks from both Alek and Surik.

-"Ah! Well alright then. Alek you are in right?" -she looked at the tall guy seating next to her. He just gave her an all knowing look filled with mischief and she knew instantly that she had just wasted her breath at asking him such a stupid question.

-"Squint! There you are!" -they heard a loud voice and everyone turned to see Alek's enigmatic master who was strolling through the cafeteria in their direction.

-"Hello Master! What's the matter? Has something happened?" -the knight asked. The shorter man stood beside their table:

-"Hello Meetra." -he said warmly then turned to Atris: -"Knight Atris! A pleasure!" -he gave her a courteous bow. Then his attention fell to the young girl siting next to her: -"Ah you must be padawan Shan. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." -The Revanchist looked back at his friend: -"No, nothing urgent. I was looking for you to decide what we will be doing with the padawans before we leave. Even if I don't like them forcing such responsibilities on us I can't just push them away. Also we must discuss our preparations. There are few masters that had decided to come with us." -suddenly his attention fell on Meetra: -"Hmm there is something different about you padawan Surik. It's like..." -he couldn't finish what he was about to say because his holocommunicator activated. He pulled it out and the form of a jedi with master robes appeared on it:

-"I have spoken with the others. We will come with you and will be taking our padawans along with us. Meet us in conference room seven when you are able. We must discuss a few things."

-"Understood!" -the hooded jedi shut off his communicator and turned again to Alek: -"Well I need you to come with me. I promise you that this will not take long and the evening will be free." -he threw an all knowing look at Meetra and Alek and they both laughed. Then tall knight let out a fake "sigh" and stood up.

-"Well I wish you nice day Meetra. Knight Atris!" -he looked at Bastila: -"Come padawan Shan. We will find the other padawans and I will introduce you to master Tokare. I am sure he will be wiling to give you a tour around the enclave." -The Revanchist looked at Alek then to the young padawan and nodded. Then the party of three left the premises.

Meetra looked at Atris again. The knight had finished her food just like her and was ready to leave:

-"So when are we leaving for these ruins you spoke of?" -she asked.

-"I wouldn't call them ruins. It's like an burial ground and most of the structures that I saw on the picture were whole. Well most were a strangely formed columns." -Atris explained.

-"Well whatever. If it's older than a few hundred years it's ruins for me." -said the padawan flatly. Both girls handed their dishes to the cleaning droid and left the cafeteria.

**Dantooine: Around 18:00 dantooinian time:**

The two girls had parked their land-speeder a few hundred meters from the ruins and were now going around the large mound which they were forming. Large strange columns were scattered all around it. Meetra was fluent in many alien languages but the markings and the design were as unfamiliar as they could get.

-"I have never seen anything like these here!" -said Atris and typed something in to her datapad while circling around one of the larger columns. -"Master Dorak said that this place was an ancient jedi burial ground but I can't find even the smallest resemblance in the construction compared to the ones in Tython."

Meetra was inclined to agree with her friend. She had been studying both jedi and sith ancient writings and these were neither of them. Suddenly she felt a familiar sensation which indicated that she was in danger. The padawan instantly enhanced her senses and listened. After a couple of minutes of nothing, she returned her attention back to the ruins.

-"I can see a small trench leading towards the base of the mound." -came a loud shout from where Atris had been. -"I think it leads towards an entrance of some-kind. Come here!"

The younger girl made her way to where the knight had shouted from. She found her looking at a large trench surrounded by steel walls and a large door at it's end.

-"Is there a console or some-kind of an mechanism to open it?" -asked the padawan.

-"Nothing that I can see. Take a step back!" -said Atris and after Meetra pulled back raised her hand at the door.

-"Well?" -asked the younger girl after nothing happened.

-"Well, I tried to open it but the lock is either force resistant or my power is insufficient." -Atris answered and it was obvious that she was un-pleased.

Meetra felt again the sense of danger and instantly turned at 180 degrees startling the girl standing next to her.

-"What is it? Why did you jump like burned?" -Atris asked the younger jedi.

-"I don't know!? I keep feeling something out there but when I concentrate I don't sense anything." -she turned back towards the door. -"Here! Let me try once and if nothing happens lets leave."

-"Strange!? I haven't sensed anything at all since we came here. Are you sure you are all right?" -the knight asked concerned.

-"Yea I am alright. It's just this place. Ever since we came here it feels cold around. It's like ... I can't explain it ... It feels like we are under a great shadow and the sun hasn't reached this place in ages." -said the padawan feeling quite stupid because the nearest pitiful excuse of a forest was miles away from them. There were only five or six trees on the whole plateau. Everything else was tall grass and bushes. -"Nevermind! Here let me see what I can do." -she finished and raised her right hand focusing.

Nothing happened at first so she forced her will harder. Then she felt something. A faint ice cold trace of power surrounded her. The feeling wasn't very pleasant and the girl shivered. She could feel the door's mechanism. It was complicated. Unlike anything she had ever seen or red about. Meetra tried to move it but it didn't budge. She tried harder and the cold increased. At the same time she felt the holocron in her pocked reacting. The feeling she got from it was like a hand reaching out to grab something. "_What in the Force?"_ The padawan tried another push when suddenly she felt like she was freezing and her blood ran cold. Instantly she withdrew her hand and canceled the flow of power. The effects were immediate and she felt warmth returning to her.

-"Well? Did you feel something?" -asked Atris rather impatient. -"I felt that you channeled a rather large amount of power. I didn't know you were able to manage such control yet. Then you suddenly pulled your hand like it was burned or something!?"

-"I felt .. cold. The mechanism is very complicated. I couldn't even budge it." -she answered. "_This place is strong in the dark side of the Force young jedi!"_ spoke a familiar voice in her head. "_WHAT in the name of the ancient jedi? How are you able to communicate with me?" _-asked startled the girl. "_The one who created me was very powerful, girl! I can do many things even if I am just a holocron."_ -answered her the ancient jedi. "_How do you know that this place is strong in the dark side?" __"Just trust me on this one. I am well acquainted with the aspects of the Force. But it doesn't matter. You and your friend are too weak to enter this place anyway. Believe me I am not saying this just like that. This ruin has piqued my interest but your power is just insufficient for the task to explore it. This darkness. It's older than the Sith, I believe! How very interesting!" _-the holocron finished. Meetra had a ton of questions for the mysterious jedi but decided that this wasn't the place to ask them. She turned to Atris: -"I think this place might be corrupted by the dark side. Lets forget about it and leave! What do you say?"

The jedi knight was struggling with her desire for exploration and Meetra felt bad that they had only lost their time here. After a couple of minutes of internal conflict Atris nodded in agreement and defeat.

-"You are right. Lets go back. We can't open the blasted gate anyway. No point wasting more time for a fool's errand."

The jedi packed their small backpacks which they had taken for their trip and headed in the direction where their speeder was standing.

Meetra was uncomfortable. The sense of danger had returned and this time it wasn't leaving her. But the jedi still couldn't see anything hostile. There were just few graminivorous animals in the distance and few of the giant flying creatures in the sky.

The land-speeder must have been around a hundred meters from them when a sharp cold chill went trough the padawan's spine forcing her to spun around. To her surprise Atris had the same reaction.

-"Did you feel..?" -Meetra didn't finish her sentence because the knight interrupted her:

-"Yes! I felt it too! Something is out there and it's close. let's hurry." -she took her lightsaber in her hand but continued her walking without activating it. Meetra followed while drawing her vibrosword.

Their movement was interrupted by a loud howl. Meetra could never mistake that sound.

-"Kath-hounds! Atris! RUN towards the speeder!" -she shouted and rushed after the older jedi.

Suddenly the whole plateau was filled with the animals. _"Force preserve us! They must be around two or three hundred beasts here. I knew we should have checked their territories before we came! Blast it!" _-she was at the edge of panicking.

-"Atris! We must have entered their breeding grounds or something! There are at-least seven large packs here." -she shouted and turned her head forward only to stop dead in one place. The way towards the speeder which was supposed to be their exit was blocked by ten huge beasts. "_Elder hounds! Mother FUCK..."_ -she couldn't finish her thought because the line keeping her from total panic had suddenly gotten very thin. The chasing beasts surrounded them and were about to attack them when Atris ignited her lightsaber. The animals were startled for a few seconds.

-"Atris! Any suggestions?!" -Meetra asked her friend taking a quick peek in her direction. The knight's face was turning white. As if the blood was drained from it. "_Too bad it really might be drained in a couple of minutes!" _-thought the padawan grimly.

-"Only one! Kill as many as you can while hoping that we scare them so they leave us alive!" -The older girl answered with a trembling voice.

-"Roger Captain!" -said the padawan while taking the Makashi stance. -"Blast how I wish to have studied Niman right about now!" -the two jedi touched their backs and then all hell broke loose. The kath-hounds finally decided to attack them and they all rushed at the same time forcing the jedi to split for more maneuverability.

It was brutal. Almost every hit she made was finding a target and even then the beasts were relentless. Legs, heads and all kinds of body-parts began filling the grass around them. She was soon covered from head to toe in animal blood because unlike Atris she didn't have a lightsaber which didn't leave bleeding wounds. Hit after hit. Wound after wound. Dead kath-hound after dead kath-hound. Soon she felt her strength dwindling. The beasts hadn't been able to hurt her seriously yet but she was beginning to loose blood from the many light wounds she was suffering. Meetra tried to take a look at how Atris was faring and saw that the knight also hadn't suffered any big wounds. The pain on her face was evident but she continued killing the animals with elegant slashes from her saber. Then one of the big hounds rushed towards the padawan. She pulled her sword from the head of a dead animal kicking the body away from her and prepared for the encounter. The beast was running with a rather amazing speed for it's size. Just when it reached the jedi jumping with it's claws forwards she sidestepped it and thrust her sword in it's neck far until the handle reached it's body killing the creature instantly. Sadly she hadn't calculated the momentum with which the body crashed on the ground. Meetra stared in shock as her sword broke at the root and the handle remained in her hands. "_The blaster shot! Force... WHY didn't I change the fucking blade!?" _Feeling an instant threat she spun around facing a rabid kath-hound's claws with her bare hands. Instinctively the jedi raised her hands in a try to protect her face. The claw's length was around seven freaking centimeters and the pain which followed them was extreme. The padawan screamed in pain as she fell on her back but she managed to roll back and with an angry wave of her still fully functional left hand she smashed the beast in the ground breaking almost all of it's bones in the process. Her victory didn't last long because she failed to see another hound sneaking on her. Meetra felt the attack too late and couldn't react on time to save her leg. The jaws of the kath-hound were like a vise and she rather heard the breaking of her bone than feel it. With a mind blurred by the pain she tried to concentrate power in her left arm and smashed the head of the predator tearing her leg even more in the process. The girl tried to rise up and saw Atris. The knight was still whole and fighting for her life. It seemed that she hadn't seen the damage Meetra had taken but the padawan couldn't blame her friend. The rest of the Elder hounds were walking in circles around her while the smaller ones were constantly trying to avert her attention. "_We killed so many! Why aren't they retreating? Normally animals would run away if more than half of their pack is slaughtered in mere minutes. Even if we are in their breeding ground this is an overkill even for those blasted creatures!" -_she was trying to think but it was becoming harder and harder. The padawan knew that she was loosing blood fast at that was very bad. Then she became the witness of the most horrifying scene in her life. The kath-hounds surrounding Atris suddenly rushed all-together followed by the elders. The jedi for her credit was like a whirlwind. Slaying beasts right and left but then just for a second her leg hit a dead hound on the ground and she lost her momentum for a millisecond. For Meetra's horror that was everything one of the elder hounds needed. With agility that the padawan thought impossible for an animal of such size it jumped at the knight and bit her in the space between the shoulder and the neck from behind. Atris was so surprised that she didn't even make a sound. With great effort she threw the animal away from her but instantly after that fell on the ground while trying to stop the bleeding from her neck with one hand. Another burst of pain erupted in Meetra's left hand and when she turned she saw that another kath-hound had bitten her. The padawan threw a weak look at Atris. The beasts were going in for the kill at her position. The girl knew that they were finished. They had tried their best but it wasn't enough. "_Heh! Couldn't even last an year on this blasted planet. Master Kavar will be so disappointed when he hears that I died because of some stupid animals! I am only sorry that I failed to save Atris!" -_she felt tears fill her eyes. "_What in the name of the Force are you doing GIRL?"_ -came an enraged shout from inside of her head. "_Wha..?!" _-she couldn't think properly anymore. "_Why are you giving UP? Fight for your life idiotic jedi! Fight for the life of your friend!" -_came another angry shout. Meetra recognized the voice. It was the holocron. "_I ... I can't! I have no strength left at all__."_ -she replied weakly. A familiar sensation washed over her. The sensation she felt every-time she used the force but this time it was much stronger. Then suddenly she found herself in a white space. Her wounds had gone away and she felt no pain at all.

-"Where am I?" -she asked out loud.

-"You are inside of my mind. Inside the holcoron you carry." -came a voice behind her and she spun around immediately. Behind her stood a humanoid. At least one head taller than her. "_This guy is tall as Alek" _-she thought to herself.

-"Yes I am! This is my natural size girl!" -said the hooded figure.

-"What the? Are you..?!" -she didn't finish her question. The figure let out a small laugh.

-"No I cannot read minds. But you are inside of mine at the moment, so if you don't control yourself properly I can hear what you think." -he answered.

-"Why and how did you bring me here? Am I safe? Atris?" -she asked hopefully but the figure shook his head.

-"Sadly, No! Everything which is happening here is taking milliseconds in the outside world. You and your friend are dying and there is nothing I can do to help you!" -the ancient jedi finished.

Whatever was happening, Meetra was glad that at least she was able to think straight again. And she felt her anger rise in great waves.

-"If you can't help me then why did you bring my mind here damn you!? Is this some kind of a prison?!" -she asked him.

-"Ah such interesting little jedi you are girl." -the man said.

-"What in the Force do you want from me damn you! Tell me or just let me die already!" -she said in cold tone managing to control her anger without letting it blind her. The padawan took a slow deep breath. She needed to figure out a way to save herself and Atris for when he would release her. "If" he released her at all.

-"Yes! That anger! I can feel it pouring through you and yet you are managing to remain calm. Your mind is clear here and unlike a few minutes ago you are thinking for a way out of your current situation." -said the hooded figure an began circling her.

-"I still fail to see your point in anything. So far all I get is that you are admiring me o something?!. And yet you still haven't even told me your name!" -she accused him with narrowed eyes.

-"No! I do not admire you...yet!" -he said with a strange ring to his voice. -"You just remind me of someone I knew long ago!"

-"Who is this that person I remind you of?" -Meetra asked him with a raised brow.

-"Me of-course! Well an younger me. He created this holocron near the end of his life. Well actually he had a lot of years to live when he did this but some things happened and he was more or less murdered." -finished the ancient jedi.

-"Who were you, old yet not so old man!?" -Surik was running out of patience. And the fact that she wasn't able to figure anything to help herself with wasn't helping the situation.

-"That is irrelevant padawan! The important thing is this talent you seem to have. You are able to control your anger where others at your age would burst with hate, fear and desperation at this point. You have the potential to not only control your anger but all other feelings as well. If you learn to control you passions which the jedi fear so much you could achieve great things."

-"But passion leads to the dark side!" -she said.

-"Passion leads to anger, hate, love, obsession and many more things. But that is only if one is unable to control his feelings. To control his destiny. The jedi preach this trough their entire lives yet even they do not understand the true meaning of their code. There were force-users thousands probably hundreds of thousands of years before the jedi order was created. The dark side and the light side are just the opposite things of one whole being. Light cannot exist without darkness."

Meetra began to think. If she was still studying under the masters in the jedi temple she would have probably opposed what he was saying. But ever since she began training on Dantooine, and after meeting Alek, his master and the other knights from their group she had began realising that what the Revanchist and even this ancient mind were saying was making perfect sense.

-"I understand!" -the only words that came from her mouth. She saw the jedi smile under his hood.

-"Good! Then you know what you must do to survive this ordeal. Steel your nerves and bend the Force to your will like you are meant to!" -he said and Meetra found herself back on the plateau squirming in pain and covered with blood.

The jaw of the kath-hound was still crushing her left hand and she saw that the beasts were almost on top of Atris. The padawan began focusing her anger. The familiar wave of power surrounded her and she tried to bend it to her will. It was even harder than usual probably because of her weakened state and loos of blood. "_You will obey me! DAMN YOU BEND TO MY WILL!" _she cried in her mind and finally felt something like a breaking of a barrier. Instantly new strength surged trough her body and she smashed the head of the beast with her right hand. She jumped up and it time slowed while she leaped a few feet from the ground towards Artis's lying body. Just before she landed Meetra reached towards her friend's lightsaber pulling it in to her bloodied hand. For a second she felt a familiar presence in the area but didn't pay much attention on it because the beasts had charged head on at her. The girl spun in a circle sending a strong shockwave all around her. Most of the larger animals were blown away by the destructive force the padawan had created and crashed on the ground dying almost instantly. Unfortunately for her there were plenty more normal sized kath-hounds and she activated the blue-colored lightsaber in anticipation for the inevitable. Meetra felt that even with her renewed power she couldn't last long. It wasn't like her wounds had healed and the bleeding stopped. The padawan felt that her consciousness was fading away slowly. The animals attacked and she began neutralizing them with elegant, precise and efficient strikes. After the death of the eleventh beast she fell on her knees with the pain in her leg tripling suddenly. She felt that familiar presence again. This time it was far more closer. She was just about to turn her head when a kath-hound jumped at her from her right side. Meetra's extra energy had all but disappeared at that point and she didn't have the strength to repel the beast in any way. She closed her eyes in wait for death when suddenly a strong wave of the force passed around her. Her ears were filled with the pitiful moans of dying kath-hounds. The padawan opened her eyes weakly in an attempt to see what was happening.

A tall black-robed figure was standing near her fully concentrated on the surrounding beasts. His hands were moving like lightning in every possible direction and every motion was followed with the death of an animal. The two remaining elder kath-hounds rushed at him but the man just raised his left hand and they were suspended in the air. When the animals were lifted he formed a fist followed by the sound of crushing bones. The beasts fell dead on the ground with blood pouring from their eyes and ears. Meetra took a look around her and saw the familiar even taller figure of Alek kneeling near Atris. She concentrated and felt that the female knight was still alive. Very weak but alive. "_Thank the force she will make it!"_ -the padawan felt like a mountain had just fallen from her shoulders and slumped on the ground. Her mind slowly fading in to darkness. The last thing she heard was:

-"Master! Atris is going to be alright but if we don't hurry back to the enclave Meetra might not..."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

**Esstran Cluster - Outer Rim- 3962 BBY. Aboard of the Ishtravmas - flagship of the 318-th republican strike fleet- 14:23 Coruscant time!**

Cold and hardened eyes stared at the empty void outside the protective glass of the battlecruiser. The male twi'lek's eyes narrowed threateningly when all that he saw were only the tiny stars which were thousands of light-years away from his fleet.

-"Flight Lieutenant status report! Do we have any readings on mandalorian starships or any-others on the matter in the region!?" -he asked.

**-"**Negative Sir! The fleet's sensors aren't picking anything out of the ordinary in the sector. Only the immense power surges from the sun's solar flares!" -answered the FL after analysing the data from his console. The twi'lek smacked angrily the end of his chair.

-"Blast! This is the third time we have received false intelligence. I am beginning to wonder if MI hasn't been compromised somehow!"

Captain Gaeeph Perkor was usually a very calm person but even he had his limits. For the past week he had received two false transmisions sending his fleet chasing ghosts in territories which were far beyond his patrol perimeters but he had never ignored or disobeyed an order before. This time he had received a warning of mandalorian ships breaching republic space. The only reason he followed the coordinates given to him was because he knew that the republic was having small confrontations with them from some time now and he didn't want to be responsible if an suicidal enemy fleet snuck in republic space on his watch. Frustrated he took one last look at the empty void before turning his attention back to the flight lieutenant:

-"Alright. Order the fleet to make one last scan on the system and forward a hyperspace route to our original destination." -he ordered and leaned back in his chair.

-"Sir! We are detecting several ships entering the system just in-front of us." -suddenly said a mon-calamari ensign from a console at his left side. The twi'lek captain straighten immediately:

-"Any indications on these ships? And how many?" -he activated the data-stream on his terminal.

-"They are mandalorians Sir!" -came the answer. -"Captain I am detecting more ships coming in."

-"Put the fleet in yellow alert and give me status report on the mandalorians." -the captain turned towards his comm officer.

-"We are detecting approximately three thousand destroyers and a few hundred cruiser class starships." -said his XO with a rather relieved tone but Perkor only frowned.

-"Something is wrong here!" -he tapped his terminal to check the readings from the scans. "_What are the mandies planing!? Three thousand destroyers and a few cruisers? That's not even enough for a recon unit"_ -he thought to himself.

-"Captain! They have deployed starfighters and are now on an intercept course with us!" -suddenly said with confusion the executive officer.

-"What? Are they suicidal or something?!" -the captain had stood up from his chair in disbelief. Only the destroyer class ships in his strike force were around fifty thousand. And he had heavy cruisers, battlecruisers and even dreadnoughts. -"What in the void's name are they planning!?"

-"Sir, their fighters are coming in an attack formation."

-"Launch first trough seventh fighter squadrons to intercept them and put them on the speakers. If they are looking for a dogfight we will give them one. And they will regret it!" -he ordered. The comm officer nodded and turned towards his screen.

-"Fighters are launched! Engagement in one minute. Enemy warships are staying out of firing range. I do not detect any activated weapon platforms so far." -informed them one of the officers in the bridge. The captain nodded and looked at the large battlescreen as a large swarm of green dots departed the bulk of his fleet towards the fewer in count red dots headed their way. He raised his head and saw trough the bridge's window the small lights which were his starfighters.

-"The fighters have engaged the enemy sir." -said the comm officer but Caprain Perkor already knew that because many of the red dots had started disappearing from the battlescreen in the center of the bridge.

-"Gold leader reporting in sir!" -came a voice from the comlink.

-"What's your status Gold leader?" -asked the captain.

-"Sir! There is something strange going on here. The mandalorian fighters are just dodging and evading us. They are not firing at all. It's like they are remotely controlled, Sir!" -spoke the pilot with apparent confusion in him. Perkor startled and his brows furrowed once again. Then realisation hit him and he shouted:

-"All squadrons pull back immediately! The fight..." -he couldn't finish his order because the dark void which was the space outside of the ship where his starfighters were currently engaging the supposed enemy forces suddenly lit like a supernova.

-"Explosions from warheads detected all around our fighters Sir!" -shouted someone but the captain almost didn't hear it. His facial expression had twisted itself in to pure rage. -"Captain, the enemy forces are pulling back." -said the same officer.

The twi'lek jumped on to his chair and shouted:

-"Order the whole fleet to chase after them! I am not letting those sons of bitches get away with murdering my people like that! A fair fight I can understand! But using empty fighters filled with warheads... They are going to pay for that!" -he said with cold steel in his voice.

The dark space became alive when the wave of gold, silver and red began it's advance. One hundred thousand dreadnoughts, cruisers and destroyers moved as one towards the miniature retreating mandalorian force.

_"Blasted animals! We have been exchanging blows with them for over ten years! IF high command had some balls left they would have ordered us to exterminate them whenever we encountered them... Not proceed with caution and patience.. We are not blasted jedi damn it!"_ -the captain continued to curse. He looked trough the bridge's window. He was able to spot some of the mandalorian destroyers now and his face twisted in to a vicious smile.

-"When we get in range open fire with the heavy and quad heavy turbolasers. After we are finished all that I want to see out there is scrap!"

-"_Copy that sir!_" -answered him a bith lieutenant standing on the firing controls.

-"Captain I am detecting multiple jumps from lightspeed inside of the system!" -shouted suddenly the navigation officer. Perkor turned his head sharply on the battlescreen and his jaw dropped wide open. Thousands ... no hundreds of thousands red dots were appearing in-front and behind of his strike force. He took a look outside in the black space. The three thousand destroyers along with the few cruisers were now surrounded by uncountable number of Kyramud battleships, Kandosii dreadnoughts and Venator warships. He swallowed hard.

-"By the Force!" -came a faint whimp from his executive officer. -"The gods forsaken sun must have interfered with our scans. There is no other explanation how they hid from our deep space sensors."

-"All ships battle-stations! Code red!" -shouted the twi'lek immediately. In front of him the mandalorian armada began advancing. Hundreds of thousands starfighters and basilisks leaving their carriers eager to engage the small republic fleet. -"launch all fighter squadrons!" -his crew were staring him as if he had lost his mind.

-"Sir!? We can not survive a battle against such force!" -shouted the comm lieutenant.

-"I know damn it! This is a trap! A full invasion fleet. Our way back is cut off if you haven't seen already! All we can do is send a message to the nearest fleet and fight with hope that some of us will escape!" -the captain shouted in return his face had transformed from dark blue to almost white.

-"I can't believe my eyes! The mandalorians are riding these machines like animals. They are right out in open space." -shouted one of his lowered level officers.

Perkor looked outside and saw the basilisks with their armored riders engaging his forces and swallowed hard. He always knew the Mandalorians were crazy but to actually see it first hand was another matter entirely.

-"A message sir? The only large enough fleet that can help us is fifty thousand light years away from here. No way they can reach is before we are annihilated!" -the comm LT was beginning to loose it.

-"I know that also damn you, now shut up and follow your orders! The following message is

"_This is Captain Gaeeph Perkor - commander of the 318-th border strike fleet to Republic High Command- identification code zeta-sixter-three-eight-alpha!_

_Message Priority Delta-niner-alpha-six-three:_

_Approximately 1500 hours Coruscant time were engaged in a small dogfight with mandalorian forces in the Esstran Cluster in republic space. _

_The mandalorian forces used warheads loaded on to empty and remotely controlled starfighters eliminating ours with what turned to be the intention to bait us to pursue them._

_At 15:15 hours the 318-th heavy strike unit was ambushed by a full invasion Mandalorian fleet. _

_The prologue is over!I repeat - The prologue is Over! The mandalorians are breaking out on the outer rim. The Mandalorian War had begun!_

_This is Captain Gaeeph Perkor to Republic High Command- I am sending this message to the nearest patrol fleet and after it I will engage the enemy forces -over!"" -_he finished and silence filled the bridge. Everyone knew that there was almost zero chance for them to leave this system alive. Then the silent moment was broken by the alarms indicating incoming fire. The ship shook violently.

-"All forces return fire!" -shouted the twi'lek captain and sat steadily on his commanding chair.

The star system was a light show. Hundreds of thousands starfighters engaged in deadly combat surrounded by the titanic silhouettes of dreadnoughts and battlecruisers. Turbolaser fire going in all possible directions. Frigates being torn to pieces. Cruisers launching proton and assault concussion missiles at each other. Perkor watched with excruciating tightness on his heart as his fleet was being decimated in-front of his eyes. The Mandalorians were suffering casualties as well, but the numbers were times smaller than he had estimated. "_Blast High Command to hell! They should have given us more forces. The mandalorians are tearing my fleet apart with such ease."_ -he thought as he watched another of his dreadnoughts explode to pieces. It seemed that after that battle the only things remaining in space were going to be only pieces of debris indeed. Just like he had planned. The only problem was that it was his fleet being decimated and not the other way around as he had planned at the beginning.

-"Sir we lost The Verge, The Peer, The Gomer and The Salgulnavgo!" -reported his XO.

-"Send the second heavy division on the left flank, and I need fighter squadrons at the center YESTERDAY!" -shouted the twi'lek while his ship shook violently again.

-"We lost decks eight trough thirteen! Most of the forwards batteries are down along with six heavy turbolasers." -came a panicked yell from somewhere.

It was chaos all around them. Outside of the bridge's window seven more cruisers and destroyers disappeared along with unknown number of starfighters - vaporized by nuclear warheads. "_Half of my fleet obliterated for mere hours."_ -the captain gripped tightly the end of his chair. "_At-least we send that blasted message in time!"_ His ship shook again. Screens all around the bridge were turning red and the alarms weren't stopping anymore.

-"Heavy cruiser on the left starboard sir... opening fi..." -The captain turned his head in the direction from where the ensign had called him just to watch the console in-front of which she was positioned explode and a piece of metal from it almost cutting her in half.

-"Return fire as much as we can!" -he shouted and the ship began firing in close range with the enemy's cruiser. -"Somebody extinguish this fire NOW!" -his ship was going down and he was perfectly aware of that, but he wasn't going without doing as much damage as possible. -"Fire controls order every missile battery, and all laser platforms to open fire at the center of that cruiser. If we are going down we are taking him with us!"

Turbolaser fire and hundreds of missiles erupted in a single barrage from the dying battlecruiser. For a second there was nothing but a neverending red light in the space between the two ships. Then the volley hit it's target. Hot plasma tearing trough durasteel and plasteel sending large pieces of debris floating in all possible directions. The hull of the mandalorian cruiser couldn't withstand the concentrated fire of the larger ship and broke in half with a large explosion. Captain Perkor had just enough time for a small vicious cheer before three more dreadnoughts close in on him. The last thing he saw before he closed his eyes was his bridge going out in flames and ship personnel flying all around him.

D**antooine:**

Meetra was exhausted. Her whole body was numb on the left side. She slowly opened her eyes and tried to figure out where she was. Judging by the medical droid stationed near her bed and the large healing kolto tank positioned near the opposite wall she deduced that she was lying on a bed in a clink of a sort. The padawan raised her left hand slowly. She couldn't feel a thing so she supposed that the pain-killers they had used hadn't worn off yet.

Her hand wasn't a pretty sight. Large and still red scars were marking the spot where one of the kath-hounds had bitten her. She also remembered what had happened with her leg and decided not to examine the damage done to it and let the wound heal some first. A faint cough from her left side got her attention. She rolled her head to see a concerned Atris sitting on a chair half a meter away from her bed.

-"Hi there! How are you feeling?" -she asked.

-"Shouldn't I be asking you that? The last thing I saw before we were rescued was You lying on the grass severily bleeding." -Meetra answered her with a question of her own.

-"Well, yes! It seems I lost consciousness almost instantly because of the pain. It turned out that my would wasn't very severe. The animal barely touched my artery with it's fangs. But you on the other hand... it is a miracle that you survived. Two severed major arteries in your leg and arm, broken bones and so many other smaller wounds." -the knight shifted uncomfortably on her chair: -"The others said that when they arrived they found you standing near my body fighting the kath-hounds severely bleeding all over. They said that if it hadn't been for you the animals would have torn me to pieces before they arrived." -Atris looked at the padawan in the eyes: -"Thank you! I do not know how you managed it because the last thing I remember was when you fell down while being jumped by two of the beasts but I would be dead if it wasn't for you. Thank you and I am sorry!"

-"Wait!? What are you sorry for?!" -Meetra asked surprised.

-"Because I am a jedi knight and you are a padawan. It was my responsibility to protect you out there and I failed. Instead of me saving you, you saved me." -said the older girl. The padawan remained silent for a while. Suddenly the door to the med-room opened and two figures entered.

-"Hello Meetra! It's good to see you awake. You got us worried there for a couple of days!" -said Alek. The Revanchist just nodded. Or at-least Meetra thought he nodded because his everpresent hood just shook a little. "_What a strange person he is." -_she thought then blinked surprised.

-"Wait!? Two days? I have been out for two whole days?!" -The tall jedi shook his head in agreement.

-"Yes! You suffered many fractured bones, severed arteries and severe blood-loss. The Force favors you padawan Surik!" -spoke the hooded jedi. Meetra didn't fail to notice his strange tone. -"When you get better I wish to speak with you in private.." -he started but Alek threw him a frown -"...but we are here now to see how you are feeling and to wish you fast recovery." -he finished and his tall friend smiled warmly at the bedridden girl.

-"Thanks! And thank you for saving us!" -thanked them the padawan.

-"Oh!? You were conscious when we arrived?" -asked surprised Alek.

-"Well yea, barely. By the way how did you find us, and most of all how did you know we were in trouble?" -Meetra looked curiously at the two jedi.

-"Shortly after we finished our meeting we saw a farmer complaining about some hunters which had angered the kath-hounds this morning. Master Dorak was passing by us when he heard him and then told us that knight Atris and you had plans on doing some-kind of a research in the supposed area. Master made haste immediately after saying something about a mating season!?" -he looked at The Revanchist and he nodded.

-"Yes! I know that now is their mating season and they gather in rather large groups. And the area you were in is usually quite heavily populated by them so I dragged him along in the nearest landspeeder and made our way to your coordinates." -he explained and the padawan shook her head in understanding. -"When we were relevantly close to your speeder's tracker I felt a strong surge in the Force and managed to determine your exact position. We reached you just as you blasted away the animals which were surrounding the two of you and proceeded to help." -finished the hooded jedi.

-"Indeed. That was quite the performance you showed us there Surik." -said Alek.

-"Well, we all get lucky once in a while!" -answered the padawan.

-"Do not underestimate yourself padawan. I sensed great potential in you the first time we met and in the light of recent events it seems that I wasn't wrong." -told her The Revanchist. -"There is something I wanted to ask the both of you." -he said and looked at Atris. -"I felt a strange presence in the area where we found you. Could you explain to me..." -his thoughts were interrupted by a beep coming from his friend's robes. He looked at the tall man and he pulled out a holocomunicator activating it in the process. The small figure of the jedi master which had talked to The Revanchist two days ago appeared above it.

-"Good day knight Alek." -he greeted the tall man and then turned to the shorter jedi. -"Good, you are with him! Urgent news came a few minutes ago from the Jedi Temple on Coruscant." -he said hastily. Meetra saw the faint stiffening of the hooded figure's body. The jedi master was very upset about something.

-"What urgent news? Has something happened?" -he asked.

-"Approximately seventeen hours ago a republic strike fleet in the outer rim has been attacked by the mandalorians."

-"And? The republic has been fighting with the mandalorians in the outer rim for nearly ten years so far but nothing major. Our plans remain the same. Our scouting party will depart at the end of the week as scheduled." -said The Revanchist but the master raised a hand.

-"Then it will interest you that the whole republic fleet has been annihilated!" -he told him with a calm tone.

-"WHAT!? The whole fleet? But a strike force is consistent of at-least around a hundred thousand ships!?" -said the hooded jedi with disbelief.

-"Indeed! They were ambushed by an entire mandalorian invasion fleet. Judging from the last transmission received from the strike force the enemy's forces have been approximately around a million ships. Cruisers, heavy Cruisers, Battlecruisers and Dreadnoughts! A few hours later they received two more reports of our fleets engaged in combat in two other sectors around our borders. The senate made a public announcement. The Republic is now officially in war with the Mandalorian Clans and the fleets are mobilizing as we speak!" -the jedi master finished finally.

-"Then we have no more time!" -The Revanchist said and took a quick glance at Alek who gave him an knowing look before turning his attention back to the projection. -"We are changing our schedule and leave tomorrow. I will go and inform the others immediately." -the master nodded and cut off the link. The shorter jedi turned to the padawan. -"It seems our plans have changed a little. I knew that the war was inevitable but I didn't expect this Mandalore The Ultimate to attack on three fronts at once. I am sorry padawan but we must cut our visit short. I heard that they will release you in an hour or two so I will find you around the enclave tonight, we have something to discuss." -then he clicked his head in Alek's direction and the two jedi left in a hurry.

Meetra looked at Atris.

-"So the war has finally started." -she said quietly and took a look at the closed door. -"So their theories proved correct despite what everyone else thought."

-"So it seems." -answered the knight. -"I wonder what actions will the jedi council take."

Meetra looked at her friend as she had grown a second head:

-"What do you mean "You wonder"!? Of course they must join the war and help the republic. That is the only rational thing to do in a situation like that." -she said heatedly. Atris looked at her with a faint frown.

-"The Jedi are the protectors of the peace. We are the guardians of the Republic, not soldiers and warriors to jump in to a war blindly."

"_Yes. right... and stopping this war as quickly as possible isn't doing exactly that!?"_ thought the padawan baffled by the short shortsightedness the knight was displaying but decided not to waste energy in to pointless debates, which were certain to arise if she opened her mouth. It seemed enough time had passed for the painkillers to wear off and she noticed that she could finally move her left leg and decided that it was time for her to leave this medbay or whatever this room was.

-"Here, help me to get up and put some clothes on myself! I want to get out of here." -she told Atris and stood up from the bed.

-"Are you sure are feeling well enough to be moving around?" -asked surprised the older girl.

-"Force, no! But I will get my strength back faster if I do physical exercises." -said the padawan and Atris knew that the decision her friend had made was final. She stood up from her chair and went to the wardrobe to pull Meetra's robes.

After a quite a lot of painful groans the padawan was finally dressed and in an acceptable condition, so the two girls left the infirmary and headed towards the central garden of the enclave. It seemed like the news of the war had spread quite fast because the whole academy was in a stir.

_A few hours later in the central garden:_

Meetra could not not get just a little irritated by the constant whispering around her and the often looks of admiration the younger padawans and even some of the knights present in the gardens were giving her.

-"I don't get what the big deal is!? We barely survived out there. If Alek and his master hadn't come to our aid we would be dead by now." -she whispered to Atris. The knight threw her a quick glance:

-"Barely or not, it's a fact that you managed to kill more than hundred kath-hounds before you went down." -she said quietly and the padawan threw her a startled look. -"Not that I am happy or approve of what we have done but even I can't deny that, that was quite the feat you accomplished. And that is without mentioning -you saving my life- again."

-"Well, alright. Now i get a fraction of what Master Kavar must feel when everyone stairs in him." -said Meetra with faked amusement in her voice. The older girl raised a brow:

-"Oh!? And what do you feel?" -asked the knight intrigued. The padawan forced an serious expression on her face and turned to her friend:

-"Irritation. And a lot of it actually." -she answered and frowned at a small group of passing younglings, who looked like they were awestruck, by the tree where they were siting.

-"Come on now, must I remind you how you spoke of Master Vima Sunrider while you were under her tutelage?" -said the knight and a faint smile appeared on her lips while she was remembering something. Meetra's frown deepened:

-"Well.. yea.. I was rather heated that time wasn't I? But I never stared so impolitely." -she answered and her face saddened. Atris immediately regretted for reminding her friend about the only master beside Kavar that had ever praised her.

-"I am sorry!" -she apologised. -"I couldn't find a clue about where the order has sent her and on what mission." Meetra looked at her friend and just waved her hand dismissively:

-"Naah, don't worry about it. I learned quite a lot from her in the brief time she was my master and I am grateful for it. I doubt that without her training Kavar would have taken me as a pupil."

-"What's that now? Vima was your master for a time? I wasn't aware of that. How interesting!" -came the voice of master Kavar from a few meters behind them. The two girls turned over and saw him walking slowly towards them.

-"Good evening Master!" -"Master Kavar, good evening!" -said both girls at the same time with courteous bows after standing up.

-"Padawan, knight Atris. It's good to see that you are both alright. I learned just now of what had transpired two days ago. I am beyond relief to see you up and running... so to speak." -said the master with a small smile and a warm voice. He turned to his padawan and pulled out the small holocron from his robes: -"Here! It seems Knight Alek found this near you when they rescued the both of you and gave it to his friend who in turn turned it to master Tokare. Master Vandar gave it to me, and now I am returning it to you." -he passed it on to her.

-"Thank you Master, I hadn't even noticed that it was missing." -thanked the padawan and dropped the small cube-like thing inside one of her pockets. She instantly felt the cool breeze around her "_So you are alive jedi. I thought that the beasts had ended you. I was picked by a rather gifted individual when we lost contact but he didn't even try to access my data. I was rather disappointed but what can we do, the world does not obey our laws and wishes. If we do not manage to force it of course." -_ said the familiar voice in her head immediately. The padawan just ignored him for the time being, there was plenty of time for her to acquire the knowledge inside the holocron later.

-"Soo.. It seems the other masters in the council forgot to mention that Master Sunrider had considered to take you as a padawan." -said Kavar.

-"Well.. I do not know if she had considered such a thing but I did learn a lot from her. I trained mainly the arts of battle with her. She had to leave before we had a chance to practice force techniques. She was the only master who stayed with me for more than a few months." -answered him the younger girl. The master raised an eyebrow amused:

-"Believe me. Vima never trained anyone if she wasn't certain that they didn't have what it takes. I take pride in saying that you have come a long way in the past year as my padawan. You should too!" -his face quirked a little as if he had just remembered something: -"Padawan, tomorrow we have some business together, I will expect you at the council chamber by noon. Don't be late! Now if you excuse me, I will leave you to rest and go on my business." -he said and turning with an elegant spin on his foot disappeared from their sight.

Meetra turned towards Atris:

-"I thing I will also retire in my room for the day. Good evening Atris, see you later!"

-"Alright, I have some work with Master Dorak anyway, good buy!" -said the knight and the padawan left the gardens.

_Around an hour later in the bedrooms:_

Meetra was seated in the center of her room. She was keeping the small holocron standing in the air at neck length unmoving. She appeared to be in deep thought. The levitating object flashed with blue energy but she ignored it. The padawan opened her eyes suddenly and grabbed it without moving it. She concentrated and send a strong surge of the force in it.

She found herself in the white space again. The girl turned and saw the tall force user standing behind her.

-"So... This time you have managed to come on your own I see." -said the hooded figure with faint amusement. -"What do you want Jedi!?"

-"I want to be stronger! I want power!" -said the padawan with determination and an alien menace in her voice. She saw as the face of the hooded figure grew in to a vicious smile:

-"Good! I can give you such knowledge. I can help you achieve strength and power! But how far are you willing to go for such knowledge!?" -he asked her.

-"Very far! But I do not want to become a sith!" -spat the girl at him. -"Are you a Sith Lord?" -the man kept his eyes at her for a long time.

-"My creator was a Jedi Master! He was also a Dark Lord of the Sith!" -he said, and as Meetra started to open her mouth he interupted her with a raised hand -"But I am neither! My creator was the most powerful force user on his time. He became a Sith because the Jedi are short sighted fools and hypocrites and exiled him along with his followers. He waged war with the Jedi Order but it wasn't a Jedi that killed him. A few years before he died he understood that there are no Light or Dark sides of the force. IT is one entity and if you master both - nothing could stop you. I was created with all of his knowledge just before his closest friend betrayed him and killed him."

-"Typical Sith if you ask me! Your kind always betrays one another!" -said Meetra with disgust. To her surprise the hooded figure nodded in agreement with her:

-"I agree! The sith are weak. They preach about power, control and rulership trough Anger and Hate! Bah!" -the man spat: -"They are as blinded as the jedi. Anger clouds their minds and actions yet they surrender to it so easily. True power comes from controlling one's emotions and turning them in to weapons which you can control in whatever way you wish to. Not let them control you and make you loose perspective of the real world." -he continued to stare at the girl: -"I can teach you to master your emotions, to turn them in to weapons at your choosing. I can make you invincible!" -he said with heated voice.

-"I want that power! Teach me!" -Meetra said her eyes turned in to a blue blaze. Another vicious smile appeared on the hooded man's face:

-"Good!" -suddenly Meetra felt the hilt of a lightsaber in her hand.

The tall man also pulled out a lightsaber and took the stance of Juyo. It was her turn to smile viciously and putting her left leg a step forward she rolled her hilt backwards in her hand taking on the stance of Trákata. The two figures engaged their lightsabers at the same time. Meetra didn't even blink at the sight of the two red lightsabers. Her opponent's sword was humming horizontally to his face while hers was standing vertically behind her right arm. A faint sound of surprise came from the tall figure.

-"Well, well. That is quite the surprise little jedi. Let's see how will I do against my own stance!" -he laughed and jumped at her.


	10. First triaL

**Dantooine : Surik's bedroom. **

The two figures were like dancers. Constantly moving around each other, neither giving up ground to the other. Two crimson lights constantly hissing trough the air at each other like deadly predators just waiting for the opportunity to make the fatal strike.

Meetra didn't know how much time had passed since their duel had started. She felt like it had been an eternity and wanted to rest. But every fiber in her body screamed at her not to loose focus and she was constantly forcing her will to stand strong and never give up ground to the tall man in-front of her. Her mind was also constantly nagging at her at the thing he had said just as he had attacked her. "_What in the Force did he mean by "My stance""._ Meetra sidestepped the man to the right all the while trying to counter his ridiculously fast and precise strikes. The padawan didn't know what would happen if he tried to kill her while her mind was connected with the holocron but she didn't have intentions to find out. "_This guy is a monster! I can feel that he is holding back and__ I'm__ still barely manag__ing__ to hold my ground."_ She unleashed a flurry of attacks at him, followed by a kick in the torso which to her amazement connected and sent him flying backwards. The hooded figure managed to roll trough the air and landed on his feet. Then he was in-front of her again in an instant. She barely managed to counter his strike forcing the two lightsabers in a lock. Meetra saw the amused expression on the man's face:

-"What's wrong little jedi!? Is that all you've got?" -he said and began forcing her back. One step, then another. Her lightsaber was almost touching her face and she felt the heat from it. She was forced to close her eyes. "_Blast it! You will not beat me so easily!" _ her anger began rising. Meetra tried to focus her will around it trying to turn it in to strength. The man increased his power and she was forced on her left knee. "_NO! I will have that power! I won't let anymore friends get hurt because I am weak!" _She screamed inwardly. Her vision becoming a haze of light red. The padawan concentrated with everything she had. And then she felt it. A whirlpool of energy surging all around her. Instantaneously binding it to her will she felt strength and power spreading through her body.

Her eyes shot open. The tall jedi/sith managed to see them only for a second - two whirlpools of power - before the young girl raised on her feet and pushed him with force enough to make him make a few steps backwards. His vicious smile returned on his face:

-"Excellent! Now lets get a bit more serious!" -he said and jumped at the girl like a savage beast.

Meetra instantly changed her grip on the lightsaber going from Trákata to Juyo and met him head on. His strikes were now stonger and faster than before. The padawan noticed that the strikes he was making had a small lag to them. Giving her just enough time to block or counter him. She also felt that even though his strength had increased her own was also almost at the same level.

Both figures were like whirlwinds. Never staying in one place for more than a second and constantly exchanging blows with their deadly weapons. The girl constantly spinning and jumping around the tall man who on his part never lost her from his sight. After a while of constant fighting the padawan managed to force another saber-lock. The hooded man smiled and freed his left hand from the grip. He pulled it backwards and the padawan felt a high concentration of the Force gathering in it. Meetra realized immediately what he was going to do. She concentrated hard and enhanced the strength in her right arm. Then pulled her left and also began gathering power. When the man shot his arm forward she met him with her's. The two forces collided and the white room began to shake. The padawan was using every ounce of force left in her now, barely managing to counter his push. She looked at the man and saw yet again that he had the look of someone who was enjoying himself quite a bit. Suddenly the opposite force grew immensely and she found herself flying trough the empty space. She landed on the ground with a heavy "grunt" and felt that her lightsaber had disappeared. The padawan rose up and saw the tall man standing next to her.

-"You are a strange one, jedi. You fought like a master and yet your external force technique was rather weak." -he said and gave her an appraising look.

-"I ... I saw you movements ... almost like in slow motion." -answered the padawan trough heavy breathing.

-"Good!" -the man's face changed to a faint smile. -"This will be enough for today. You know where and how to find me. Good bye for now little jedi." -he finished and the white room disappeared.

Meetra blinked and saw that she was back inside her bedroom. She let the holocron drop in her hand, stood up and placed in on her desk. After taking a quick peek at her watch she realised that her interaction with the holocron had only taken a few minutes. The padawan felt exhausted even though she knew that she hadn't actually done anything. She went near her bed and literally sploshed herself on it.

She didn't know how much time had gone since her training with the jedi or sith - she wasn't sure what he was - when a ring came from her door. Meetra forced herself to stand up and went to see who was looking for her. The padawan was rather surprised to see The Revanchist standing in-front of her room.

The knight bowed lightly and greeted her: -"Good evening padawan Surik! Can I come in?"

Meetra bowed to him respectfully and answered : -"Of course!" -she waved her hand in an inviting manner. -"What can I do for you!?"

The older jedi moved gracefully with silent steps inside. He looked around curiously. After a few silent moments his attention turned towards the girl:

-"I hope I didn't interrupt your training Meetra!"

The padawan looked at him questioningly: -"No, I was just resting." -she answered him.

-"I could have sworn that I felt a strong disturbance in the Force coming from this direction a little while ago." -he said with uncaring tone but Meetra could feel trough the force that he was still upset from the news he had received earlier this day.

-"Well you could say that I was practicing my saber techniques in a way, but that's all." -she answered him. "_And in a way I really did."_

The Revanchist nodded courtly: -"Nevermind. I am actually here to invite you to join me and Alek in our expedition." -he said with full seriousness.

Meetra just stared at him speechless. It took her a few moments to come to her senses. "_From where in the Force did that came from!?" -_she asked herself. The padawan looked at the jedi knight who was standing relaxed as if nothing had happened.

-"I am flattered that you are asking me to join with you. But why? Everyone here at the academy knows that I can't use the force properly yet." -she said still a little shaken by his invitation.

The knight gave her an appraising look: -"Do not underestimate yourself Meetra. Being strong in the force isn't the only thing that a jedi needs. I have eyes and ears. The reputation you have made for yourself through the year you have been living here is quite something. Most of the younglings, many of the padawans and even some knights talk with a very high regards of you." -Meetra looked at him surprised. -"Don't look so surprised. They say that you never turn down their requests to train with you and you are always helping when you see someone practicing sword techniques the wrong way, and even some of the more simple force techniques." -he explained to the girl: -"And I saw you sparring with master Kavar last week at the ruins of the shrine. I dare to say that you would make quite the challenge even for Alek in the dueling ring." -finished the hooded jedi.

The younger jedi raised her brows: -"Well ... that's something .. coming from you.." -she didn't know how to respond to his remark. Meetra wanted to go with him and the other jedi to fight the Mandalorian Clans, but she knew that she still needed training. She felt that she would be of more use at the front after finishing her training: -"I really appreciate that you belive that I can be useful on the front. But I must decline your offer. I must complete my training first, it will be foolish of me to go unprepared. I know that many padawans are going to join you but I also know that their masters are going also with them. Mine has made it very clear that he has no intention to go without the support of the whole council. I am truly sorry!" -she said in one breath.

The jedi knight mulled over her words for a few moments and then looked at her:

-"I understand! But I say this to you now - The jedi order and the republic have ignored the mandalorians far too long and now they are going to pay for it. I hope that the jedi council will see reason and join the war when I speak with them. If they do not, there will come a time when you will have to make your choice- to uphold your oath to protect these which can't protect themselves or ignore it and let the Republic burn. Farewell padawan Surik! May the Force be with you!" -he said and left in a hurry. Meetra shut her door and returned to bed. The words of the young jedi didn't leave her thoughts until the next day.

_Next morning:_

Meetra watched as the military shuttles which had landed near the enclave were being filled with jedi. She was astonished how many were leaving with Alek and his Master. There were more masters than she had expected at first. "_Probably the news of the war changed their minds."_ She saw masters Lamar, Tokare, Dorak and Kavar watching from a near balcony. Every one of them had dark expressions over their faces. Her attention turned back towards the shuttles and she saw that Alek and The Revanchist were just boarding the last one. A few minutes later Meetra watched as the shuttles slowly raised from the ground and made their way towards the planet's orbit. She heard the sound of trailing robes on her left and turned to see Atris stopping next to her. The female knight didn't say anything but by her face Meetra judged that she was also displeased with the actions of the departing jedi.

-"I don't know why, but I have a very bad feeling about this!" -said the older girl.

Meetra turned her head towards the sky again: -"The news announced that the Republic has lost three systems in the initial attack of the Clans. I can't believe it. Three systems in only two days." -she said darkly.

The two jedi remained silent as they watched the last of the shuttles disappear. Meetra then turned back and headed in to the enclave.

She couldn't not notice how empty suddenly the building felt. Only a handful of masters had remained now. A few knights, a lot of padawans which didn't yet have appointed masters and the younglings were all that remained. The girl headed towards the central garden where the corridor for the council chamber was positioned. She bowed respectfully at two masters which passed by her and entered the garden. Going past a few padawans(she noticed the girl named Shan talking with a blonde boy around the same age) she headed towards the council chamber.

The corridor was dimly lit and had the strange feeling of abandonment about it. After a few turns the girl finally reached her were two jedi knights standing like guards on both sides of the door unmoving and with cold expressions on their faces. They nodded to her when she approached and let her inside. The place was more spacious than she had imagined. There were two figures waiting for her inside. One was master Kavar and the other was the chronicler of the enclave - Master Dorak.

-"Masters!" -she greeted them and bowed lightly. The padawan then looked around the dim room. The whole place had no windows except for a small opening in the form of a circle on the top of the roof. She noticed a smaller door few meters to her left.

Master Dorak bowed to her in return while Kavar only nodded in acknowledgment to her presence. The padawan noticed that the first was holding a small box in his hands. She proceeded towards them.

-"What can I do for you Masters!?"

Kavar took a long look at her. He had an pensive expression like someone who was in deep thought. After a few seconds his eyes brightened a little and he spoke to her: -"Meetra! When I was confronted by the Jedi council they were all but ready to expel you from the order..." -he began and the girls eyes narrowed. She knew that things had looked bad for her but never truly expected that she was so close to expulsion. -"...I do not know if it was the will of the Force or just a coincidence that your powers began manifesting themselves after I became your mentor but honestly I do not care." -Meetra was confused. Why was her master saying these things.. it made no sense to her so she decided to stay quiet and listen. Kavar looked her in the eyes and continued: -"In the past year you have proven to me that the jedi on Coruscant couldn't have been more wrong about you. You are brash, and sometimes even reckless. But I can say that you are one of the most dedicated padawans I have ever had the privilege of tutoring. Your ability of learning new things is nothing more than astounding. I confess that your lack in Force strength is still something we do not understand, it is strange that you can use "It" to enhance your physical condition with the skill of a master and yet at the same time being unable to do the same with other force techniques but we believe that in time you will also overcome this problem." -Kavar saw the expression of confusion on his padawan's face and decided to cut to the chase. -"The whole point in all of this is that due to recent events, and watching your progress for an entire year I have talked with a few other masters here in the enclave and we decided that you are ready for your first trial as a padawan.

Meetra's eyes shot wide open. "_My first trial!? But that means.."_ she couldn't finish her thought because Kavar continued:

-"Today you will begin construction on your first lightsaber." -he finished and a faint smile appeared on his lips after seeing his apprentice's face of astonishment.

-"I .. I do not know what to say Master. I am truly honored that you believe me to be ready to wield a lightsaber of my own." -answered the padawan still a little stunned after hearing her master's decision.

Master Dorak stepped forwards while opening the small box he was carrying. Meetra saw that it was filled with small crystals in different colors. Green, blue, yellow and even a few in purple. "_These must be force crystals."_ -the girl thought. She had studied about them many times.

-"By your expression I can tell that you are aware what these crystals are, am I right padawan?" -asked the dark skinned jedi. The girl nodded in agreement. -"Good, then I do not need to explain to you about them. You can proceed right to the choosing then." -he informed her in a calm tone. -"Do not hurry, take your time and choose the one which resonates with you the most. Usually we send the padawans for their crystals on Ilum but the system in which the planet stands is in the far outer rim territories and it's too dangerous to go there with the mandalorians about." -the master finished his explanation.

Meetra began touching the crystals one by one while inserting small amounts of the force in them each time. After a while her eyebrows narrowed slightly. Each crystal had unique feel to it but somehow they didn't feel right to her.

-"Excuse me masters, but are those all the crystals in here?" -asked the padawan with with a slight frown.

Dorak looked at her apologetically: -"I am afraid these are the only crystals we have her at this time. You do not like them?"

-"No, it's not like that. I feel strong resonating pulses from each and every crystal. But they just don't feel right to me somehow." -answered the girl.

Kavar's smile disappeared instantly when he heard his padawan. He counted that the girl would find a suitable crystal in their reserves but it seemed that it wasn't going to be so. He began thinking about persuading her to use one of the present crystals for the time being but ended killing the thought almost instantly. The padawan deserved a crystal of her own.

-"It seems we will have to make a trip to Ilum at some point after all." -said the master with a "sigh".

Meanwhile Meetra's mind was invaded yet again by the entity she kept in her pocket. "_Little jedi. There is another way for you to get a crystal." _The girl blinked startled. "_What do you mean another way? Master Kavar just said that the planet with the crystals is in the outer rims, which are under attack right now. It will be beyond foolish to rush there just so I can make my lightsaber!" _-she answered to the holocron and thought to herself grimly "_I can't believe all this bad luck I have been having these days!" __"I am not talking about crystal caves here little jedi, I am talking about the third option!" _ Suddenly Meetra's eyes dilated in understanding. _"I can feel that you have remembered! You have studied the technique!"_ said the voice in her mind and she felt that he was quite pleased with her realization. There was indeed a third option she could take in this situation she had found herself in. She could create a synthetic crystal through the force. The padawan was just about to open her mouth and tell the masters what she wanted to do when realization hit her hard. The technique was extremely difficult and required a very strong affinity to the force. Something that she lacked and was constantly reminded in defeat after defeat. _"Oooh... What!? The little girl doesn't have what it takes to complete her trial!?"_ Said mockingly the voice in her head. Meetra slapped herself mentally. _"I will pass this trial ... SITH... even with your constant intrusions!" _-she snarled at the entity and looked at Kavar:

-"Master! I have another suggestion." -she said to the jedi in-front of her.

The two masters exchanged curious looks and turned their attention to the padawan.

-"And what might this suggestion be padawan?" -asked Dorak. Meetra felt that the dark skinned jedi was fairly intrigued at what she was going to say.

The padawan took a deep breath before answering him: -"I want to create my own crystal masters!"

Kavar blinked once not quite sure what he had just heard. He was a renown jedi master, a council member even, yet for just a microsecond his brain refused to comprehend what his padawan had just said. He turned towards Dorak and found that the other jedi was just as astonished.

-"Excuse me.. you What?" -asked the dark skinned man who was literally caught off-guard by the response of the young girl.

Kavar on his part and to his credit managed to conceal his amazement: -"If you are suggesting this then you are familiar with the procedure?" -he asked the padawan. Meetra nodded calmly and answered him:

-"Yes master Kavar! I have studied every information stored in the Halls of Knowledge in the jedi temple on Coruscant regarding the construction of lightsabers."

-"Then you know what is required for this technique to work?" -aked Dorak.

-"Yes master Dorak but I still want to do it!"

Kavar felt that his padawan was dead set on doing what needed to be done. WIth a "sigh" he waved his hand for her to follow him and headed towards the small door standing on the right side of bigger one. Meetra followed him quickly.

They entered a smaller room filled with comfortable looking stools. At the far end near a window was positioned a large workbench which was probably where she was going to create her parts for the lightsaber. Kavar stopped at the entrance and turned to her:

-"You will find all the materials you need for your parts on the workbench. I will be back there meditating until you finish up. I have left a gift for you there. Call me when you finish with everything." -he said, turned back, left the room and closed the door behind him.

Meetra headed slowly towards the end of the room. She seated herself in-front of the workbench and began inventorying her materials. There were power lenses, focusing crystals, cycling field energisers, power conductors. Everything she needed. Her attention turned towards the metal plates from which she would make her external parts. She noticed that the metal was rather lighter than usual plasteel and took a closer look. "_Is that cortosis?" __"Quite the gift little jedi. Your master must really care for you!" _-said the holocron. "_Well.. that will take quite longer than anticipated." __"Yes! I agree. Cutting the cortosis will be a bitch!"_-laughed the entity in her head. The padawan ignored the improper language of the holocron and began her work enthusiastically.

_Around fifteen hours later:_

Meetra finally finished the engraving over her new parts for her lightsaber. After she had finished cutting them the girl had painted them in black gloss color and decided to engrave it in silver with the sith words "_**K**__**raujas **__**N**__**e **__**R**__**aiskus**_**"**which she found somehow appropriate for her. The padawan let out another heavy "sigh". All that was left for her was the creation of the force crystal.

Meetra pulled away from the workbench and took a seat in one of the stools in a cross-legged position. -"_Do you know what you have to do little jedi?" _-she heard the holocron in her mind again. _-"Yes! Now I want you to keep quiet!" _-she answered him. The padawan placed her hands one against the other with a small space between them like she was holding a small cube or a ball and began concentrating while closing her eyes. She began gathering force energy in the space between her hands all the while imagining the form of the crystal she wanted. The padawan began increasing the power she was inserting after each minute or two. Meetra felt trough the force how the crystal began forming slowly and concentrated harder.

After a while the padawan began breathing more heavily and even some drops of sweat formed on her temple. The small room began shaking lightly from the energy the padawan was concentrating around her. -"_You have to put more force in-to it girl!" _-told her the holocron. "_I know damn you! I told you to keep quiet!" _-she shouted mentally and increased her force energy. Her breathing became very heavy, as if she had ran all day without stopping, more than a few drops of sweat were now trickling on her face but she didn't interrupt her concentration. The familiar feeling of coolness surrounded her and she instantly reached to grab it with her mind. She felt her power increase drastically and directed all of it in-to the force crystal. The padawan opened her eyes and saw red and blue energy in the form of lightning coming out of her hands and being absorbed by the crystal. The tremors created by her power were quite strong by that moment and few stools fell over around the room. She felt her grip on the force energies failing slowly and cursed inwardly. The girl forced every bit of energy she had left in to the crystal and tightened her jaw in tension. She didn't know how much time had passed since she had started on the crystal but to her it felt like whole hours had passed. Finally when she was almost at the brink of passing out from exhaustion the crystal made a strange sound - like something had created a space full of vacuum - and fell on the ground in-front of her. Meetra threw herself on the ground with a heavy and relieved "sigh", breathing heavily and totally exhausted.

She was just about to stand and take to inspect the crystal when the door opened and three figures rushed inside. The padawan managed to place herself in to a sitting position and stared at master Kavar, Dorak and Vandar as they made their way towards her with confused expressions on their faces.

-"Aaaahm... Has something happened, Masters!?" -she asked them and took the force crystal in her hand. When she lifted the small object Meetra felt strong resonance from it and smiled. She knew that she had succeeded. The Force Crystal was colorless which she found a little strange.

Kavar looked between his padawan and the crystal she was holding. -"That is what we were going to ask you. What happened here? A little while ago master Tokare called me with news from Coruscant and I left. We were talking with the other council members when we suddenly felt a tremendous disturbance in the force coming from here. We made haste in this direction but when we were almost here the concentration in the force disappeared and I feared that something might have happened to you." -he said in one breath.

Meetra blinked confused: -"Well.. I didn't do anything else beside creating my Force Crystal. I was going to call you when I was done just like you instructed me."

Dorak blinked and asked her surprised: -"Surely you do not mean that you have managed to create it already?"

-"Well, yes. I believe so Master Dorak. Here you can check it yourself." -said the padawan and levitated the crystal towards his now stretched forward hand.

The master lifted the crystal with two fingers and she felt his astonishment which he concealed immediately. The little dark-green jedi spoke in his stead:

-"Rather impressed I am by you, padawan Surik. Not only you have managed to create the crystal in it's full size but you have imbued it with the force at the same time as well." -said the little jedi master with his warm and calm voice.

-"Indeed, such a feat is no small thing to accomplish." -said Kavar. -"Usually it takes several days just to create a crystal artificially and another few to imbue it with the Force! You never cease to amaze me Meetra!" -he said proudly. He looked at the workbench: -"I see you are finished with the construction of your parts also. Then our rush in here will not be so in-vain."

Master Vandar straighten the fallen stools and sat on one of them: -"Good! The process we will observe Padawan!" -he said and the other two masters took thir places beside him.

Meetra pulled all of the components and left them levitating in-front of her. Then she pulled the crystal from Dorak's hand and placed it at shoulder height.

-"The crystal is the heart of the blade.." -she began reciting the code of the lgihtsaber quietly. She began assembling the lightsaber on top of the Force Crystal. -"The heart is the crystal of the Jedi..." -she was slowly placing part after part. -"The Jedi is the crystal of the Force and the Force is the blade of the Heart.." -the focusing crystal, cycling field energizers found their places smoothly. -"All are intertwined... The crystal, the blade, the Jedi..." -the three black metal plates surrounded the levitating item and each clicked in place forming the now complete Lightsaber. -"We are one!" -Meetra finished and took her lightsaber in her right hand. "_Now for the grand finale" -_she thought and formed a fist with her left arm from the anticipation. The padawan imbued the new weapon with the force and the blade hissed to life with a red color.

Dorak suppressed a startled "yelp" when he saw the red blade. He didn't like the red color because it reminded him of Exar Kun and Quel'Droma but remained silent because he knew that having a red lightsaber didn't mean you are a Sith or evil.

Kavar blinked surprised at the red blade his padawan had activated. He had seen that the crystal was colorless and he had to admit that this turn of events was rather troubling. He looked questioningly at his fellow jedi and was startled to see that short jedi was unfazed at all.

-"Very interesting development of events. Padawan did you make you crystal in this color?" -asked the green alien.

Meetra blinked surprised: -"No master Tokare. It's like that on it's own. Why? Is something wrong? I rather like the red color." -she said apologetically.

Kavar looked at his padawan intrigued. He knew that even natural force crystals could change colors depending on their master's mental condition and connection to the Force but hers was artificial- made entirely from her force energies: -"Oh!? And why do you like red?" -he asked her.

-"Well, red is the color of my blood Master. And blood represents Life!" -answered the girl as if it was the only reasonable explanation.

Master Vandar let out an amused laugh. -"The way this padawan thinks, I like." -he stepped closer to the girl and extended his hand: -"May I?" -he asked politely and Meetra handed her lightsaber to him.

The small jedi activated the blade and made a few swings with it: -"Excellent balance... the focusing crystal and the power conductors are perfectly crafted and positioned. The Force Crystal is just a tiny bit misplaced." -he said and made a small arch with his free hand towards the lightsaber. "_He probably adjusted the crystal." -_thought the padawan. Vandar looked at her: -"Superb work padawan Surik. The only other person I have seen crafting a better lightsaber was The Revanchist..." he paused for a moment as if thinking of something: -"..and Ulic Qel'Droma before him." -he commented.

Meetra was overly pleased with herself but she couldn't stop herself from asking: -"Masters! Why does everyone call him "The Revanchist" and not his name?!"

Vandar laughed again: -"Well because he asked us not to call him by his name. And since it doesn't do any harm to anyone we agreed to his request." -answered the green alien.

Meetra tried to see the logic in his answer but failed miserably and decided to let the matter go. Tokare returned her the lightsaber:

-"Remember! Never loose your lightsaber. It is not only a weapon but also a token which recognizes you as a member of the Order. Conflicts can be avoided just by showing it to the hostile party. In this trust me you must!" -he told her and winked mischievously.

Meetra swung her weapon a few more times testing it's balance, then turned it off and hanged it on her belt.

Kavar saw the small engravings on her hilt and arched a brow. -"Are those Sith letters?" -he asked sharply his padawan. -"What do they say?"

-"Amm... They say " Blood is power!" master!" -answered the girl a little shyly.

Kavar's eyes narrowed: -"Well, that's not a very jedi like verse. Why have you engraved this on your weapon?"

-"Well... It looked kind of cool?!" -she answered as if she was goodness itself.

Kavar shook his head as if he was facing a two year old but a faint smile appeared on his face. -"Alright then. Go and rest. You have been here for over seventeen hours. You will have two free days before we begin our training again. The Masters and I have things to discuss now." -he said and almost pushed her out of the room.

Meetra remembered that they had mentioned some-kind of news from Corsucant. "_Probably Alek and the others had their meeting or something." -_she thought and headed towards her quarters. It had been a long and eventful day and she wanted nothing but to jump in to her bed and surrender to blissful unconsciousness.

**Coruscant: Few minutes before the events on Dantooine:**

Alek was trying to catch up to his friend who had stormed out of the room of the jedi council. He could feel the displeasure in him. There was also the faint trait of anger which he hadn't felt in a long time. The tall man couldn't blame him thought. The jedi had but literally smashed the door in their faces. First they had to wait a few hours for the damned meeting. Then they had treated them like imbeciles or something of the sort. His master had explained to the elderly jedi that he had seen a pattern in their colonizations years ago. He had told them that the Republic was not ready to face this threat alone and that they needed the Jedi to help them but they didn't want to hear a thing from it. "_The council at this point has decided that the jedi will not participate in this war. Our decision is not final but we simply do not have enough information on the mandalorians or their motives!". _His friend had predicted that they would be hesitant but he had hoped that they would send some jedi with him. Instead they had even forbidden the jedi from Dantooine to go and help the Republic. At-least he had managed to convince them to let him and his followers go as a scouting party if he was to promise not to engage the mandalorians in frontal attack. Alek knew that The Revanchist wouldn't follow their instructions and a faint smile appeared on his face. He finally managed to catch up with him:

-"So... What are your plans now Master?" -he asked the hooded figure.

-"We will contact the Admiralty and request of them to give a few ships under our command. We will see from there what will happen." -came a quiet answer.

Aleks's eyes narrowed: -"I still can't believe they are going to do nothing! Several billion lives have been lost already. And only the force knows how many will die if we do not act now." -said the young knight passionately.

-"Be mindful of your feelings Alek! It is not me you have to persuade in to action. The council acts like a bunch of old and scared fools!" -said the shorter jedi. Alek let out a "sigh" of defeat. His friend looked at him from under his hood: -"Do not be discouraged. This is just the beginning. We will go from system to system, temple to temple, academy to academy and gather supporters amongst the jedi for our cause. And when the time comes we will join this war and win it! The mandalorians will regret for ever invading the Republic!" -said the hooded jedi with menacing tone.

The two jedi left the temple and proceeded to find transport to take them to the senate building.

Suddenly Alek spoke: -"It's strange but I kind of miss Meetra."

The Revanchist looked at him: -"Indeed! That girl is a mystery to me. She has a special presence about her. She has spent quite some time with us, but I have only spoken with her a few times. And yet I feel her like a close friend."

Alek let out a light laugh: -"Yes, that's quite the feeling I have, but I couldn't have explained it like you. Have you noticed how fast she made friends on Dantooine? I do not know if it's a Force thing or if it comes to her naturally. Many of the knights with us already miss their conversations and duels with her."

-"Hmm. I think it may be both. Actually I believe I heard Vrook mention something to master Vandar about Force bonds... or something of the kind." -said the hooded man.

-"Force bonds? Is it possible to create force bonds so fast ... and I doubt that she knows that she is creating them at the same time ..." -Alek arched a brow.

-"I am not sure but I have a theory of my own."

-"Yes? I would like to hear your theory." -asked the taller jedi.

-"I believe she has a talent in battle meditations. Also with her personality I believe she can become quite the leader." -came the response from the hooded man. Alek quirked a brow.

-"Battle meditation?! Well... that's a rare gift among us force users. If she can master it..." -his sentence was left unfinished but his friend nodded in agreement.

People were making a way for the two jedi as they walked which amused Alek. The people were probably making a way for them because his friend looked rather intimidating with his black hooded robe on. They found a free transport speeder and hopped on in it. Alek gave the droid directions and relaxed in his seat taking the environment around him in. Coruscant always amazed him. The whole planet was turned in-to a never-sleeping city. The buildings were hundreds upon hundreds stores high and they were supported by gravity generators positioned at the distinctive levels of the city. He had heard that there was only one other planet like this one - named Taris, but that - Taris wasn't as prosperous and peaceful as the Republic's capital world. After a while the speeder began it's approach on the senate which was even bigger than the jedi Temple. Alek frowned because he knew that they were going to waste at-least a few hours convincing the senators and the military to give them command of the ships they needed.

**Dantooine: Next day: 13:09 Coruscant time:**

Meetra exited her shower and began dressing herself with her usual black-grey padawan clothes(_no cloak and hood_). She had slept for over ten whole hours and was feeling great. The exhaustion from the creation of the crystal was already but a distant memory for her. The padawan pulled her lightsaber from the little night-drawer and hung it on her belt. She gathered her hair in a ponytail, took a quick glance in the mirror and rushed out from her room smiling slyly.

The padawan headed towards the cafeteria to grab an energy bar or some other light food.

When she reached her destination the padawan found it rather empty. _"Probably it's going to stay like that given that most of the jedi left for Coruscant." _-she thought to herself. She stood behind two knights at the food line and took a closer look around the place. Meetra recognized the padawan named Bastila. She was sitting with the blonde boy from the previous day along with master Vrook. It seemed like he was explaining something to them. The boy looked in her direction. Suddenly his eyes grew larger and he whispered something to Shan while pointing towards Meetra's lightsaber. Vrook turned around with a frown, looked at the padawan which had moved to make her order, turned back towards the padawans on his table and said something to them with a scowl which made them quiet again. "_Grumpy as ever. People might think that he lives for scolding people." _She grabbed two energy bars, a bottle of water and disappeared towards her favorite three in her favorite garden.

She passed a small training room filled with younglings training under the watchful eye of master Vandar. In the garden she passed the two knights that had guarded the council chamber the other day and bowed lightly to them. They returned the bow and continued with their business. Meetra noticed how one of them took a sneak peek at her before whispering something to his friend.

The padawan's lips curved in to a large smile when she saw that a familiar white figure had seated herself near the large tree. She walked towards her casually.

-"Hello Atris!" -she greeted her friend.

Atris looked at her beaming friend questioningly. The padawan seemed in a rather good mood today. -"Hello Meetra! How are you feelis that a Lightsaber?!" -she stumbled in her speech when she saw the elegant gloss-black lightsaber hanging on her friend's belt.

-"You said it!" -answered her the younger girl. Atris wondered how she was restraining herself from hopping around like a tach monkey.

-"Well... by the looks of you, you do not have burned brows or missing limbs so I think congratulations are in order?!" -asked the knight teasingly.

Meetra smacked her lightly on the shoulder with her palm: -"Ha ha! Very funny! If you must know master Vandar praised me for my craftsmanship. Said that in his life he had seen only two better crafted first lightsabers than mine." -she announced proudly.

Atris arched a brow. -"Let me guess one of them is our enigmatic R knight right?"

Meetra laughed: -"Yes you got it from the first try. Very nice perception knight Atris!" -teased the padawan in return. The older girl smiled lightly.

-"Did Master Tokare say who was the other one?"

Meetra's face darkened slightly at the question: -"Hmm yes. He said that the other one was Ulic Qel'Droma!"

-"Well... show me!" -she prompt the padawan.

-"Umm.. show you what?" -asked the younger jedi.

Atris looked at her as if she had lost her mind: -"The lightsaber... activate it.. I want to see it!"

Meetra slapped herself mentally. "_I have bantha food for brains!"_. With a fluid move of her right hand she pulled her saber with the force and activated it. The red blade came out with a hiss. Meetra heard a faint "yelp" and looked at a rather startled Atris looking back at her.

-"It ..it's red... why is it red Meetra!?" -Atris stared shocked at the red lightsaber.

-"Um.. I don't know.. Maybe probably because my force energy make's it like that!? After all It's an an artificial crystal. I made it myself!" -explained the padawan a little confused at her friend's reaction.

Atris looked her friend sharply in the eyes. "_Wait..What!? Artificial.. and she said she made it herself!?". : -_"Amm from how long have you been making it? Did you know that you would be getting a lightsaber anytime soon?"

-"Um..Noo!? I made it yesterday when master Kavar told me to." -explained the younger girl.

Atris blinked astonished: -"You mean you managed to create it and imbue it with the Force in one day at the same time!? That's...well that is amazing! I spent five days making mine usable for a lightsaber... and mine was a natural crystal." -she paused for a moment: -"So the disturbance in the force we felt yesterday was caused by you!? Simply astonishing! And yet I do not feel a very strong presence of the force in you... I feel you like always." -The older jedi was quite puzzled by her friend yet again.

Meetra just shook her shoulders: -"Master Kavar, Vandar and Dorak were also rather surprised. I confess that I had never done anything so hard before. When I finished I thought that I could sleep for a week. But now I feel rather fine and rested." -she explained.

-"I am still a little unnerved by the color of your blade... It's like you are a Sith or something..." -said the knight.

-"Oh come on.. that's bantha shit you are talking right now. I have heard that there have been other jedi with red blades before. It's not like the color makes you a dark jedi Atris... you of all people should know this.. you are just being ... I don't know a little stupid right now."

Atris laughed lightly and relaxed. Then she forced her face in to a serious demeanour: -"Oh so I am stupid now!? Come to the training room and we will see who is stupid!" -she baited her friend.

The padawan abrked a laugh in return: -"Oh oh! Have you practiced knight Atris? Are you going to educate me in the fine arts of lightsaber combat today!?" -she smirked at her friend.

Atris stood up, waved a hand towards the padawan to follow her and disappeared in to one of the corridors. Meetra thought something for a moment and ran after her.

**I am still looking for beta readers and people with knowledge about The Old Republic era. If anyone is interested PM me here or E-mail me. I see that there is interest in my work so far and I hope you will continue to enjoy it. (Btw holding thumbs for a good new Star Wars movie in 2015).**


	11. Chapter 11

**Meerian Sector -Gorm System- 3,962 BBY. Three months after the initial attack of the Mandalorian Clans:**

The black empty void shivered slightly when a republic hammer-head cruiser jumped out of lightspeed. The empty space shivered again and another cruiser appeared beside the first... then another... and another and so on. Soon the space above the small planet named after it's system was filled with dreadnoughts and battlecruisers. The republic fleet began maneuvering to create a defensive wall around the hyperspace route from which they had just emerged.

A moderately high human wearing an admiral's uniform with one star was sitting on his command chair watching with cold and calculating eyes as the fleet began deploying it's fighters around the flanks.

Two words left his mouth: -"Status report!?"

A middle aged officer with corellian accent checked his readings one last time before answering: -"No immediate threats at present Admiral! The fleet is almost in position."

Karath's eyes narrowed slightly. He pushed a small button on his chair: -"This is Vice Admiral Karath: -The mandalorians will arrive soon in the system so I urge all captains to make their preparations as fast as they can. Admiral Veltraa is currently hard pressed on two fronts so we have been tasked with defending this sector... At all cost!" -he said with cold tone. -"I want all flight commanders to their posts and I will be expecting their reports in the next twenty minutes!" -then he turned off the comm.

-"Sir the fleet is in position and the starfighter-squadrons are all on the field." -reported a bothan ensign.

Saul nodded slightly and sank into deep thought. He didn't notice the younger man who entered the bridge and stood near him.

-"Is there a problem Sir?" -asked the new arrival.

Karath startled slightly but managed not to jump in his seat.

-"Lieutenant!?" -he looked at the man standing at his side. -"It's just that I hate variables and not knowing what the enemy is planing!" -answered the admiral flatly.

-"Did we receive news from Admiral Veltraa, Sir? Is that why you are worried?"

-"Yes! I spoke with him earlier this day." -said the older man and massaged the bridge of his nose.

The lieutenant looked at the admiral curiously -"And..? What are the news?"

-"Bad! He is barely holding the line. Our forces are insufficient to hold the whole sector! And the blasted admiralty doesn't want to send in the main fleets, which is getting on my nerves!" -said the admiral as if apologising for something.

-"Permission to speak freely, Sir?"

The admiral threw a questioning look to the lieutenant and nodded lightly: -"Speak your mind Onasi!"

-"I think they are sacred Sir!" -said the officer.

Karath's expression darkened even more and the man nodded. -"Yes I'll bet they are! That could be exactly why the senate doesn't allow high command to send more ships." -the older man activated a console which stood on the right side of his chair. -"After all - for the past few months the mandies have been pushing hard only towards Taris." - admiral Karath finished reading a report from one of his lieutenants and mumbled something under his nose. -"I don't even understand why Mandalore is so focused on that blasted planet. The system wasn't even an official part of the Republic before the initial onslaught!" -the man paused for a second to take a breath. -"That's politics for you... someone threatens a profitable trade route and they go throwing memberships all around them. And now to top it all there have been reports of mandalorian scouting parties around Onderon. I heard that the onderonian king is throwing quite the fit at the supreme chancellor, nagging him for reinforcements if they attack them."

The young lieutenant bent slightly forward and spoke to the admiral in a lowered voice: -"Sir, there have been some rumors spreading around the fleets that jedi have been sighted around the battlefields... Is there any truth to that?"

Saul Karath blinked sharply once and turned his head towards the younger man: -"I have heard these rumors also Onasi, but there hasn't been any official announcement from the admiralty and the jedi council is declining any involvement of the order... so for now they are just that ... rumors!"

Lieutenant Carth Onasi was about to say something when he was sharply interrupted by a loud beep.

-"Report!" -said with a strong voice the admiral.

-"Mandalorian ships entering the system Sir!"

The middle aged man cursed loudly -"I want status report on their numbers, warships and in what attacking formations they move ASAP!" -he activated the console in-front of his chair -"To the whole fleet - Battle stations! We have incoming hostiles."

-"Sir, the mandies keep pouring in-to the system. Their numbers vary between five to six hundred thousand... give or take a few thousand." -reported a nikto in ensign uniform.

Every muscle in the admiral's body tightened as he watched from his bridge as the mandalorian armada began their approach.

-"Onasi! I want your wing ready to depart on my command." -he said to the lieutenant.

-"Sir?! You don't want us in the fray?" -asked the young human.

Karath was too busy sending different commands to his fleet and didn't look at Carth: -"No! I want you to be ready if they manage to slip bomber squadrons past our wall of defence! Now go and prepare your men!"

Onasi threw a short salute before running out of the ship's bridge. He knew that the shit was going to hit the fan really fast in just a few moments.

_Aboard Saul Karath's flagship - one minute later:_

The entire ship was like a madhouse. Humans and aliens barely avoiding clashing in-to each other as they ran towards their designated posts. The corridors were filled with the loud sound of the battle alarm accompanied by the red lights which were irritating Carth's vision.

Onasi headed towards the hangar bay where his men were probably already waiting for him. On the way he saw a couple of dozen pilots which were heading to the other hangars in a hurry.

When he reached his destination he saw that only the fighters from his command were left in the ship. The lieutenant looked around and saw his pilots gathered around a few storage containers. He closed in on them with a fast stride.

A young woman interrupted her conversation with one of the other pilots when she saw him: -"Officer on deck!" -she shouted almost instinctively and the crowd jumped on their feet and everyone saluted as one.

-"At ease people!" -said the lieutenant, and even if the pilots relaxed a bit no-one moved from their places.

-"Sir! Why aren't we outside like the rest of the fleet?" -asked the woman.

Onasi took a quick look at his men. Their faces indicated that they were itching for action. -"Admiral's orders Ensign. We are to wait if any enemy bombers manage to fly pass our deffences." -he just finished explaining when the ship shook violently.

Almost instantly after that Onasi's holocom beeped. He took it out and activated it. A small image of Saul Karath appeared above it:

-"Lieutenant, the mandalorians rammed our wall and it's going to be an all out close range battle. I want you outside doing as much damage as possible and that was yesterday!" -said the admiral and cut off the link.

-"You heard the man people! In your ships asap!" -he began shouting and ran towards his liberator-starfighter.

In just a few moments fifty fighters rose from the durasteel floor of the republican dreadnought and made their way in-to open space.

Onasi's eyes widened when he saw the situation. The mandalorian fleet was literally shoulder to shoulder with the republican. Dreadnoughts were exchanging heavy turbolaser fire at each other, battlecruisers devastating smaller frigates all around them. Swarms of starfighters swooping in every direction.

-"By the ... Am I seeing this right?! These mandalorians are insane. They are riding these machines in space without cockpits or any defence at all in that matter!" -said panicked one of his pilots. Carth couldn't blame the boy for panicking because it was also his first time seeing the so said "Basilisk wardroid riders" in action.

-"I think these are the so called Neo-Crusaders we have been hearing so much reports about! Keep your cool people and focus on your targets when we engage. Don't forget to watch your sides at all times!" -he shouted on the comm.

-"This is Gold Leader, we request assistance on the following coordinates immediately, heavy concentration of enemy fighters... there are also some of these strange animal-like machines and they are tearing my boys apart!" -came another panicked voice over the comm and a set of coordinates appeared on his screen.

-"You heard the man!" -said Onasi and after reading the given coordinates scanned the battlefield with his eyes. Gold squadron were rather close to his position so he spotted them rather fast. -"This is Theta Leader engaging the enemy!" -he announced over his comm and his fighters swooped in-to the fray.

Their initial assault took the mandalorians by surprise and they managed to make some serious damage taking a few fighters out. But the enemy pilots weren't just any greenhorns like most of his squad and managed to recuperate almost immediately and engaged the new arrivals.

Carth got behind the tail of a basilisk and fired. To his dismay the few hits that landed on the wardroid didn't manage to blow it up. -"Blast! What are these things made of!?" -he cursed while spinning his fighter in a maneuver to avoid enemy missiles. The rockets missed him and blew in to a frigate passing nearby without doing much damage to it. The lieutenant's attention returned towards the basilisk he was pursuing. The mandalorian tried a series of complicated maneuvers in an attempt to free himself from Onasi's target. "_Oh no you won't you son of a ..." _-the lieutenant cursed in his mind and fired a missile of his own at the wardroid blowing it to pieces. He was about to let a small cheer when a heavy-cruiser in-front of him exploded in a bright light and he barely managed to dive-in and avoid the large parts of the blown ship.

-"That was too close Sir!" -he heard one of his pilots say over the comm. Without paying him much attention the lieutenant took a quick glance over the battle-zone and swoop again in-to the fray.

-"Zloth watch your six, you've got three bogies coming in fast!" -shouted the lieutenant.

Carth dived after the enemies and opened fire. His blasters destroyed one of the ships but the other two didn't break their pursuit and opened fire.

-"I can't shake them!" -shouted the pilot and Carth watched how the mandalorians finally destroyed their target.

-"Sons of hutts!" -shouted someone on the comm.

The lieutenant fired another salvo of missiles at the maddies destroying one of them. He was just about to curse when two republican fighters appeared from somewhere and blew the last mandalorian to pieces.

-"Theta Leader, this is Gray Two! We will keep the enemy busy here, admiral Karath needs fighter reinforcements in the center. Over!" -came a voice over the comm and Carth watched as few hundred fighters in red and silver entered his sight.

-"Roger Gray Two, Theta Squad moving out! Over!" -he activated his squad frequency: -"You heard them people, move out and stay in formation...This is going to be a nasty one!" -he cut the line and concentrated on the battle ahead.

_Saul Karath's Bridge at the same time:_

-"Admiral we are taking heavy damage on the left flank. The mandalorians have deployed heavy bombers and we have lost one tenth of our fighters there." -said a woman with slightly panicked tone.

Saul Karath cursed loudly: -"Tell Captain Ganymede to head there with five hundred hammer-head cruisers immediately!" -he shouted and the woman began typing fast on her console. The admiral looked at the large screen which was showing the battlefield: -"What's the status of our heavy destroyers?"

This time a twi'lek answered him: -"They haven't sustained much damage Sir! Gold Wing managed to repel the enemy fighters with the help of Theta squad! Gray Wing has arrived as per your orders Sir!" -Karath nodded in approval.

-"Tell them to concentrate a heavy missile barrage on the mandalorian dreadnoughts in the center. Also inform our fighters to pull back from there. I don't want casualties because of friendly fire!" -the officer acknowledged and turned at his terminal.

Karath looked outside the window of his bridge as few hundred thousand heavy torpedos made heir way past his flagship and began tearing the mandalorians to pieces. A vicious smile appeared on his face.

-"Finally we will show them that we give as good as we get!".

Hundreds of explosions in-front of his eyes informed him that the missile barrage had managed to hit mandalorian star-figters, and a few seconds later few huge explosions and the disappearance of around twenty dreadnoughts told him that the missiles had done their job.

But his forces weren't the only ones making serious damage. For every one ship he managed to take down it seemed like they were taking two of his own. Karath cursed under his nose. Enemy bombers had managed to pass trough his right flank and were now headed towards his destroyers.

-"Comm officer! Order our destroyers to pull back a little and find any available fighters to intercept these bombers. We must not let them close-on on us!" -the officer didn't even turn her head towards the admiral as she began typing frantically.

Suddenly she turned towards him: -"Sir you won't believe this! We have reinforcements coming in." -she said almost with a smile.

-"What? Who is it? Which fleet?" -he asked hastily while looking the new green dots on the battle-screen which were appearing with the numbers of thousands.

-"It's Captain Montileu Rhade, Sir!" -announced the female officer.

-"What in the blazes is the Mantellian fleet doing here?" -he said unbelievingly. It was almost too good to be true.

-"The captain is saying that admiral Veltraa ordered them to reinforce your position, Sir!"

Saul's eyes narrowed: -"Now, why would he send reinforceme..." -he began talking but stopped in middle-sentence because new dots began appearing on his battle-screen. And these dots were all red. -"Better strap on hard Ensign!" -he said with a cold tone. -"it's going to be a long battle!"

**Jedi Enclave - Dantooine - around two weeks later:**

Meetra blocked the incoming lightsaber and with a strong push of her left palm threw the young zabrak knight flying backwards. Her sparring opponent couldn't manage to recover his balance on time and fell hard on the dusty ground. The padawan instantly turned one-hundred and eighty degrees just in time to parry the saberstaff attack from her second opponent - another ,inthorian' jedi knight. The ithorian jedi was coming at her rather aggressively and Surik was forced to switch from the offensive Makashi saber-form to the more defensive Shien technique. The knight executed a few series of fast flurries trying to penetrate her defence but she countered them easily because she was able to predict every single strike of his ahead of time.

Meetra heard a few excited whispers among the watching jedi and allowed a faint smirk to appear on her face. "_Everyone thinks that fighting against a saberstaff is harder than fighting one lightsaber, but actually the saberstaff is at a disadvantage against a skilled sword-fighter. All you have to do is pay close attention to one of the blades because that way you always know where the other one will appear." -_she thought to herself. The padawan always wondered why so many jedi prefered saberstaffs over the lightsaber, the single blade had all the advantages no matter how she looked at it. Her line of thought was interrupted because she felt a warning from the force. The padawan blocked fast another flurry from the ithorian but this time managed to break his defence and kicked him hard in the stomach forcing him to drop on one knee. Surik didn't execute the supposed finishing blow because a green lightsaber passed where her shoulder was standing a microsecond ago. The girl gathered a large concentration of the force in her left hand and threw the ithorian -which was still trying to gather his breath- flying across the room. Then she focused on the zabrak who was attacking her with an unknown to her saber form. His movements resembled slightly those of Juyo but weren't as much chaotic. The two jedi locked with each other in a series of flurries and counterattacks. Meetra remembered seeing this form being used in the duel she had watched a few months ago between the zeltron padawan and the human knight. She decided that it was time for her to end this match and switched her handgrip in-to Trakata. Then she lunged ferociously at her opponent. The zabrak caught off-guard raised his lightsaber in a try to block her swing but the force of the impact didn't come. He watched how the red blade of her opponent disappeared in the blink of an eye and then he felt the heat of the blade near his throat. He yelped quite startled and dropped his weapon in a jest of surrender.

In that moment the premises were filled with cheers from the apprentices and padawans which were watching the sparring match. Two masters exchanged intrigued comments between themselves and a small group of knights applauded moderately while also exchanging whispers.

Kavar emerged from the small crowd: -"Well done my Padawan! Well done indeed! You have come a long way in such a short time. I am most impressed. That last maneuver was executed perfectly... your opponent didn't even have a chance to blink." -he praised the young jedi. -"Also you held your ground masterfully against the dualsaber wielder. Not many knights can hold their own like you did against Bruenor like that, and you are still a padawan."

-"I learned from the best, Master!" -she bowed lightly to him. Kavar smiled warmly.

-"I must say... I'ts hard to believe how much you have improved in the last two months. And your use of the Trakata is becoming quite astounding given the fact that I haven't being teaching you it."

-"Indeed, Master! I can feel the force better than ever-before and it's all thanks to your teachings!" -said Meetra and a faint smile appeared on her lips. And indeed for the past two months her strength in the force had grown substantially. She was almost able to stand her own in force techniques against most of the knights left in the enclave. She had even managed to beat Atris in a force duel once. A thing she had thought was never going to be possible.

Kavar looked at his padawan: -"Alright, you are free for the rest of the day. I just want you to meditate a couple of hours before you go to sleep."

-"Understood Master!" -she bowed again and took a look at the ithorian knight who was still dusting his clothes off. He caught her eyes and nodded in respect. Meetra bowed slightly at him and headed towards the archives. The padawan had a meeting with her oldest friend which she hadn't seen in a while and didn't plan to waste that opportunity of free time.

On her way Meetra decided to check out if any new information regarding the war had been aired. She also hadn't heard any news from the jedi which had departed with Alek and his master. Kavar and the other masters also refused to share any information at all regarding them . In-front of the corridor leading towards the archives she saw master Vrook. The older jedi looked at her and his face expression turned in-to one of disapproval. "_I don't understand what's his problem with everyone! Grumpy old man!" -_she thought inwardly but managed to make a respectful bow at the master.

The jedi archives were as usual almost empty. She saw a few only a padawans and one knight. Master Dorak as always was present and gave her a warm smile when he saw her. Meetra bowed slightly and proceeded with her search for her friend.

She found the white-robed jedi sitting on a small round table and examining an old black-colored holocron.

-"Hello Atris!" -greeted the padawan and sat in-front of the older woman.

Atris looked at the girl and smiled slightly: -"Hi Meetra! I heard there was some-kind of a commotion at the training area a few minutes ago." -she said and threw her one of her all-knowing looks. The padawan wanted to say something but she interrupted her: -"No need to explain anything. Master Dorak was watching your sparring match trough a holocom and I just coincidentally happened to pass by him at the same time. I must say, your talents with the lightsaber continue to grow with each month. I am beginning to think that you would be able to challenge even masters in a year time, or even less."

Meetra was surprised at the praise Atris was giving her. Her friend usually urged her to concentrate more on her meditation and connection with the Force.

The padawan's eyes fell on the holocron: -"What are you examining this time? Was this created by a powerful ancient Jedi Master? And if yes which one?" -she asked.

Atris looked at her and Meetra saw her eyes narrowing just a little: -"Hmm, this one wasn't made by our order my friend." -said the white-robed jedi.

Surik looked questioningly at her friend: -"If it wasn't made by our order then who made...it?" -she said but realisation had came to her even before finishing her sentence: -"It's Sith?" -her eyes widened.

-"Indeed!" -answered the older woman.

-"Atris! It's dangerous to study holocrons that were made by jedi, and to speak of ones made by the Sith and the Dark jedi..." -she didn't finish her thought.

-"Well Meetra, dangerous or not, I have been trained for such things. And at the moment I am on a personal task given to me by Master Dorak himself. But don't worry, I am fully capable of resisting any dark powers this holocron could possess." -the jedi knight's voice was filled with confidence.

Meetra activated a small console from the table and began searching any material regarding the war.

The white-robed woman changed her place so that she could see what the padawan was doing.

-"What are you searching for?" -she asked.

-"If there is any new information about the war, or our jedi friends that left three months ago." -Meetra answered while light from the screen reflected on her face.

Atris left the holocron on the table: -"Why are you so interested in this war?"

This time the padawan's face darkened: -"What do you mean "Why?". The people which we have sworn to protect are dying and the Masters aren't doing anything about it. It's like they don't care at all. And if they receive any news, no-one thinks to share them with the rest of us! I just don't understand them!"

-"We must trust in the council's wisdom Meetra! Maybe they know something we don't." -said the older woman.

The padawan took a look at her: -"Yea? Then why don't they tell us? Give us at-least a tiny portion of information because I sure as hell don't see any logic in their actions!" -the girl had raised her voice and a few padawans looked at their direction.

-"Be mindful of your feelings padawan. It is not your place to question the will of the council!" -said the woman and returned at her place picking up the holocron again.

"_Indeed! Little girl's and boys shouldn't question the big, powerful and wise Masters of the Order! They must be good and obey like the little drones they want them to be!" _-snickered the man from the holocron inside of her mind. She grabbed the small holocron inside of her cloak: "_Silence! I don't have the patience for you right now!" -_she spat at him and to her surprise he didn't answer her with one of his sarcastic jabs. She was about to ask him if something had happened when an article on her console caught her eyes.

Atris took a faint glance at the padawan and was startled to see that her face had turned almost in-to one of rage: -"What? What do you see that is making you so angry? Remember "There is no emotion, there is peace!"" -she asked concerned.

Meetra raised her head and stared at her friend: -"Onderon has fallen to the Mandalorians! Millions are dead along with the royal family, there is a faint chance that the princess has survived though, but it's not confirmed yet...and that's just from the planet's population. The republic fleet sent to defend the system has almost been completely annihilated. Ships numbering around two million reduced to mere debris. They are still counting the dead or MIA! And also there currently appears to be a siege above the skies of Gorm... and by the reports it's a massive one." -she answered trough her teeth. Atris was about to say something but she interrupted her: -"Oh.. and look at this .. the Supreme Chancellor has been in a meeting with the masters on Coruscant again but they have declined to join in the war... AGAIN." -she stressed on the second "again" and then her expression turned in-to one of defeat: -"Well Atris... I sure hope that they really know something we don't... because I just can't excuse this passivity at such tragedies!" -said the padawan and closed back the table console.

Meetra stood up and was about to leave when Atris called to her:

-"Wait!"

The padawan turned with a questioning look: -"I'm going to meditate in my room. These news ruined my day! I want to clear my mind at peace." -she said.

-"I want to say goodbye Meetra, and I don't want us to part ways in such a manner!" -told her the knight.

The girl was startled: -"What do you mean goodbye? Where are you going? Weren't you supposed to be training here with master Dorak?" -she asked and looked at the dark-skinned bald master in the far corner of the archive.

Atris exhaled slowly: -"Master Vrook, Vandar and Master Dorak decided that my training is comleted and I underwent my trial two days ago." -she said in one breath.

Meetra blinked surprised: -"You completed your trial... but then.. you... you are a Master now?!" -the girl was shocked but a large smile appeared on her face.

-"Not officially, not yet. I am departing for Coruscant tomorrow. There I will undergo a proper ceremony!" -explained the woman and a large smile also appeared on her face.

-"I have no words Aris... "khu khum" I mean Master Atris!" -said Meetra and hugged her friend: -"I am so happy for you. To be given the rank of master at your age... that's amazing." -she let her friend go: -"I knew this would happen, you are after all one of the best historians of the order! I don't think that after the last librarian on Coruscant passed away there has been anyone with such knowledge and passion for history as you!"

Atris was glad that, after all, they were going to part as good friends, no matter their different opinions about the jedi council and the war.

-"Well then... I'm saying my goodbye now because I will leave very early tomorrow!" -said the white-robed woman and extended her hand towards the padawan: -"Don't slack off when I'm gone alright? I will keep in contact with Master Kavar to keep track with your progress and I will know if you stat lazing around without me!"

Meetra shook her friends hand: -"Hey.. you know me... the only chance of me slacking is if I find some very interesting information of an old war or something!" -said the padawan giggling: -"And I bet that master Dorak would kick me out if I pass too much time in his archive!" -her expression turned serious: -"Goodbye Atris, I'll miss your company. May the force be with you!"

-"May the force be with you also Meetra!" -answered the knight and they let go of their hands.

Meetra headed to her quarters with slightly heavier heart, and the news from the war returned on her way there with full force. "_Millions of republican citizens dead! Soldiers.. Dead! And what are the Masters on Coruscant doing?! Nothing! The mandalorians clans were murdering the people she was sworn to protect and yet she couldn't do anything... or could she!?"_ a thought resurfaced in her mind, a thought placed there by The Revanchist -"_**There will come a time when you will have to choose what to do!"**_.

Meetra entered her room and locked the door behind her. She sat in the center of the floor and placed the holocron in levitating position in-front of her. "_Nothing better to clear my mind as a good sparring match!"_ -she thought, grabbed the artifact and the familiar flash of light surrounded her.

_Surik's room: Time spent there: unknown._

Meetra jumped with a rolling motion in the air over the dark figure and landed behind him. She made a piercing motion with her saber but her managed to block it. The padawan tried to spin around him but all she got was a kick directed at her head. She blocked it with her left hand and attacked again. She swung her sword at his neck but he parried again. The girl then followed up with a fast and aggressive flurry and the tall man was forced to take a step back. He deflected her lightsaber with a strong slash, rolleld his blade behind his back and lunged with another strong swing at her. Meetra met his lightsaber with her own and locked the blades.

-"Something is bothering you Girl!" -said the hooded almost-human. Meetra stared him in the eyes, concentrated and with one strong push with her saber threw him backwards.

-"This damned war is eating at my mind! And I hate it how the masters aren't telling us anything!" -she said and jumped forward at him.

The man parried her attack again and made a spinning series of attacks which she deflected almost without any efford.

-"Are you surprised? I told you the first time we met that the jedi are selfserving bastards and hypocrites! They preach about protection, peace and serenity but look at them now. Hiding behind their "castles" when the need of them is the greatest, sprouting nonsense like "it's not our place to wage war" or "we are keepers of the peace, no good will come if we go to war" and etcetera etcetera!" -he barked and attacked her again.

The padawan executed a series of spinning attacks with one hand in a line delivering heavy hits at her opponent who was forced to take a step backwards for each strike. The man managed to keep his balance and forced another saberlock. He concentrated and tried to push her back only to be surprised when she didn't budge even an inch.

-"Impressive!" -he said without any of his usual sarcasm. The hooded man tried to throw her away with the Force and yet again found himself surprised when all that he managed to do was to make her slide backwards without her feel leaving the ground. -"Most impressive!"

Meetra was about to jump at the tall humanoid again when he raised his hand declaring that the match was over.

-"I must say... I didn't expect you to progress so fast in such a small time period. Two months ago you weren't even able to block one of my weakened force techniques.. and now you can almost compare with my strength in the Force." -he said while looking at her with calculating eyes. -"It is true that my power is only a fragment of the person who made me but still, given the fact that your connection to the Force wasn't very strong to begin with... and even now I can't feel much improvement in it... it's quite remarkable."

The padawan sat down with her legs crossed in a meditative stance, closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. She was sure that a few hours had passed since she had began her training again but even the sparring match hadn't taken her thoughts away from the grim news. She concentrated harder in her attempt to clear her mind but failed yet again. Finally she gave up and stood up. The once jedi looked at her:

-"Soon there will be nothing left for me to teach you.. Padawan!" -he said in a strange tone and she was little surprised. The girl looked the Force entity in the eyes and saw a strange light in them: -"I had forgotten this feeling!" -he let out a heavy "sigh".

-"Which feeling?" -her curiosity had taken the better of her. The hooded man looked at her again.

-"The feeling of teaching someone the arts of the Force. To pass on my knowledge to someone worthy! For all the years I have existed there hasn't been anyone who I have taught what I taught you! Even that brilliant boy Kavar didn't have what you have!" -he said and began pacing slowly in a line.

-"What do I have which make's me so special?" -Meetra asked intrigued.

The man didn't look her when he spoke: -"if my theory is correct, you will find out yourself one day. I can't predict what the future holds for you but i can tell you this much... I know you will do great things in your life. When, how or where I can not tell because I can't see so clearly trough the Force... after all my creator was not a seer!" -he said and a faint trace of a smile appeared on his face. -"I have one wish though." -he suddenly said.

-"What is that wish?" -asked the padawan.

-"When I am done passing my knowledge to you, I want you to hide me somewhere.. somewhere where only powerful force users can sense my presence!" -explained the Force entity.

-"I will try to find you a good hiding place then! Goodbye for now!" -said the jedi girl and released the flow of Force from the holocron. Just before all connection was cut off she heard a faint- "_Goodbye .. little jedi!"_..


	12. Chapter 12

**Declaration:I do not own anything related to the star wars universe and The Old Republic.**

**Chapter Twelve:**

**Dantooine: Jedi Enclave: Six months after the start of the war.**

_Trees. Every direction she turned her head at was filled with trees and enormous strange plants. She turned her eyes at the sky but all she saw were a few glimpses of it. Tt was a strange feeling as if it wasn't she who moved but someone else. "Gray clouds... it's going to rain! We have to move soon or our forces will be decimated!" she said suddenly as if in a dream and turned her around.. Surprise washed her over but she could feel that not even one muscle moved on her face. Behind the young jedi were gathered a large number of soldiers in what looked like republic uniforms. One of them dressed in different colors than the others said something but she couldn't understand it, it was as if the words weren't ment for her to hear. She could feel the tension around everyone there. The atmosphere was heavy and stagnant. As if they were expecting something horrible to happen at any moment. Her head turned forward, again as if someone else was controlling her and then the image blurred out._

_She saw a fleet of black ships annihilating a planet..the image faded in a flash... A tall blurred figure was fighting several jedi at once and was winning ... this image also faded fast... A jedi in blue robes was fighting a man in red armor. The first was using the reverse grip of Trakata and was constantly inflicting mortal wounds on the armored one but he was still standing on his feel continuing the fight...this image also blurred away without her seeing the outcome..._

_Now she was standing at the base of the great statues in-front of the jedi temple on Coruscant. The person she was seeing trough raised her hand towards the blue sky of the capital world, and Meetra saw that the person was wearing the traditional knight robes of the order. It was strange... she could see the raised hand as if it was her own but everything else around her was blurry and as if time was sped up. The person she was seeing trough let out a heavy sigh and headed towards the entrance of the temple. Suddenly she felt excruciating pain and the vision disappeared..._

The padawan woke up withholding a scream. She was covered in cold sweat and breathing heavily:

-"What in the Force was that...!?" -she wondered aloud and tried to recollect her thoughts. The girl looked at her window. By her estimations it was early in the morning. The sun wasn't up but it wasn't also pitch black either. She rose from her bed and moving slowly stopped before her mirror. She stared at her reflection for a couple of minutes. Some of her long black hair was tumbled over her left shoulder and was spilled on the front of her shirt. She felt as if her reflection was a complete stranger. For the past two years her growth was more than average by the human standarts. The woman looking at her was hundred-eighty-five centimeters tall, with long ravenblack hair shrouding her (1)slavic face, her eyes were alluring globe-round and blue, she had honey sweet lips, her figure was beautifully proportioned and even after her constant physical training she didn't look muscular. Meetra had always known that her physique was more mature than some other human children but that was different. Even a few of the remaining jedi masters in the enclave had voiced the obvious difference they were seeing a few times. The girl picked up the small holocron that was lying on the small table near the mirror and held it tight for a few moments focusing the Force. Nothing happened and with a heavy sigh she put it back. She looked at it for a few more seconds and began changing her clothes.

Three months had passed since the small object had stopped reacting to her. It had taught her a a better technique for physical stengthening trough the Force two months before that. "_Call it a parting gift if you wish! You will see yourself in a new "light" ..hahaha!"_ he had laughed before closing it's consciousness towards her. The day he told her about the technique Master Kavar had been summoned to Coruscant for some-kind of important events that had played on Taris, leaving her to train by herself this technique and her lightsaber forms for five months. At first she didn't feel or see anything different in the technique but one month ago after a strange disturbance in the Force the changes started to appear.

Once she finished tightening her belt her left hand shot out calling her lightsaber from her nightstand and strapped it on her left hip. Meetra looked at her window one more time and saw a few small rays of light breaking over the far hill. She shook her head lightly one time to shake the remaining drowsiness and left for the cafeteria completely forgotten about her strange dream.

-**Dantooine midday**-

A small drop of sweat slid down on the padawan's face. With a final push of the Force she send a large piece of metal rolling down a small hill. With a heavy sigh she looked at the zabrak padawan standing next to her. A faint irritation washed over her for a moment when she saw that he wasn't as affected as her from the mental fatigue on which they were exposed for the past three hours. The two of them were send near the small city because a trade ship had been forced to crash-land and they had spent the last hours gathering or removing dangerous pieces metal from the wreck. Meetra brushed her forehead with her right hand and looked at the distance. The sky was filled with gray clouds and they were making the vast fields shine with a gray tint.

-"I believe that this takes care of things here finally!" -said the zabrak padawan.

Meetra looked around the crash-site one more time and nodded: -"Yes, we are done here. Lets inform the masters in the enclave and head back." They were hit by a strong and cold breeze and Meetra tightened her brown cloak which she was wearing over her black padawan robes. -"The weather is getting colder and colder. I think the winter is coming soon...I can never tell on this planet, being used to Coruscant for almost fifteen years and all..." -she complained and headed with him towards their speeder. They received a few appreciating cheers from the people working on the incident.

The male jedi tried to hide a laugh but failed miserably -"I have never actually checked this but ... do they have seasons there?" -he asked her. -"I mean with the whole planet being one huge city and all those different power generators everywhere."

-"Yes they have different weather and seasons but they are all artificially created. Hmm... if i remember correctly the system used for that purpose was called WeatherNet or something." -answered the girl while hopping in the driver's seat while the other padawan's face ashened a little. She threw one last glance at the machines clearing the area and activated the holocom -"Master Lestin! The situation near the spaceport has been dealt with."

The small figure of a twi'lek appeared. -"Good work padawans, now return to the enclave, and padawan Surik, please report to the council's chambers! We have to discuss some things in-light of important recent events." -said the master and ended the transmission.

The zabrak padawan had a puzzled look on his face -"I wonder if they have news from the war-front. The Republic forces have been taking quite the beating. If i am not mistaken there was a large battle not five systems from here some time ago." -he finished with a worried expression.

Meetra started the engine of the machine and soon the hills and the fields around them became a colorfull blur. -"I have been following the un-encripted news and military channels but trough them I can never get any useful information. At-least not any related to the jedi because the masters have the access restricted." -she said while speeding up after passing the last known farm in the region.

It took them around an hour to reach the enclave. Meetra got out of the speeder and bowed lightly at the other padawan for goodbye. A light rain had started a few minutes before they reached the enclave so she pulled her hood up and made her way towards the council's chamber. The corridors were empty and the light was scarce. They gave her an irritating feeling of doom so she fastened her pace.

The jedi knights that represented something like an honor guard were absent this time. The padawan knocked hard on the door and then waved her hand opening it with the Force.

-"Ah, padawan Surik! Good work at the spaceport!"-greeted her Master Dorak. Beside him were standing master Tokare and master Lestin.

-"Masters!" -she bowed respectfully. -"You requested my presence!?".

-"Indeed. Master Kavar has requested for you on Coruscant!" -answered her the little gray jedi.(Vandar)

-"Oh!?" -she was genuinely surprised by the news. -"We haven't been in contact for almost five months already, as the council is fully aware. Did he say why is he requesting my presence?"

The twi'lek master answered her -"Yes! As you are aware a horrible incident took place on Taris not long ago in which the lives of a few padawans were lost. Master Kavar was appointed as an unofficial investigator for the incident. Some very unclear facts have been discovered by him and a few jedi knights, but nothing rock solid. His investigation was directed at Master Lucien Draay who was appointed on the jedi High Council a couple of months ago. But failing to find anything sufficient on his activities the investigation is now over and he want's to continue your training, only not on Dantooine."

The padawan pondered a few moments -"Why doesn't he want to continue my training here?"

-"We think that he has gotten a little tired at the peaceful atmosphere here. Master Kavar has always been know to have a little more aggressive outlook on life even if he denies it sometimes. Maybe he feels more comfortable on more populated planets." -answered her the dark-skinned man.

That made sense to Meetra given the reputation her master had build for himself over the years.

-"When will I be leaving?"

Master Vandar checked something on a small terminal near the wall of the chamber. -"There is a small military squadron arriving today in the system. They are on their way to Kuat so you can jump to Coruscant with them. We have arranged everything already. A shuttle will be waiting for you at the same spaceport you were today." -he informed her and returned to his place. -"That will be all padawan Surik, you are dismissed for the rest of the day. The fleet will start re-supplying today so you can go in the morning. I suggest you pack your things for tomorrow!"

The girl bowed at the three masters again and left the chamber.

**Dantooine next morning:**

Meetra waved for goodbye at the jedi knight that had escorted her to the space-port. The weather was still unpleasant and rainy as the day before so she had to pull up her hood again. Just as she had thought the streets were almost empty because of it... not that the small city had much population to begin with...

A light ground shaking which was followed by a deafening roar of star-ship engines got her attention. The padawan raised her head at the sky and saw a large hammerhead class cruiser passing over the city and rapidly gathering height while heading for space.

-"_Hmmm... they probably had to land somewhere near the city to resupply. Can't blame them though. Probably most of their fighters and shuttles have been destroyed by the clans!"_-she murmured to herself and continued her search for the hangar at which her transport was supposed to be. She frowned. If they didn't have enough shuttles to resupply only with them their casualties must have been very high.

After around fifteen minutes of checking out different docks she finally spotted a small group of soldiers that were chatting about a hundred meters from her in-front of one of the larger ones.

She decided to ask if they knew where she had to go and closed on-them.

One of the soldiers, she saw that he was an officer, saw her and waved his hand at the rest and they all stopped talking.

-"Good morning!" -Meetra greeted them, lowered her hood and bowed lightly.

-"Ah! Master Jedi, we have been waiting for you!" -answered the officer and bowed to her in return. -"We are with the last shuttle and everything is ready on out side so we can go whenever you are ready!"

The padawan nodded: -"Thank you for your trouble! But I must make clear one thing, I am but a mere padawan so there is no need for such formalities."

The rest of the soldiers exchanged startled looks among themselves but remained silent.

-"Ah forgive me then for the misunderstanding. It's just that there weren't any padawans in the jedi I have met at your age." -explained the officer.

-"Hmm?! Jedi my age? I am currently in my eighteen year since my birth." -she said and was surrounded by opened jaws.

They mumbled something between themselves for a few seconds but the officer silenced them: -"Alright.. alright everyone to the shuttle, no more delaying!" -he turned to Meetra -"Do you have any baggage?" -she turned lightly on one side and he saw the military grade backpack on her back. -"Alright then after me! Our shuttle is in dock-31!" -he entered the large construction and she followed him.

Her transport turned out to be a (2)NR2 Gully Jumper. The standard military shuttle for deployment of troops on the battlefield. By the looks of it it had seen a lot of fighting. There were dents and laser marks all over the hull. The engines looked new so she was certain that they were replaced recently.

Two of the marines took the pilot seats while the the rest including her strapped themselves on the seats positioned on both of the shuttle's walls.

-"Strap yourself hard because this baby doesn't like turbulence at all!" -said a female marine sitting right in-front of Meetra. The padawan nodded and tightened the safety-belts around her chest. A second after that the shuttle's door closed followed by a light shaking which indicated that they had departed. A minute after that she understood what the marine had in mind because the shuttle started shaking violently.

-"Exiting low-orbit in ... five ...four ...three ...two ...One!" -came the voice of one of the pilots and suddenly the shaking stopped. Meetra put her hand inside of her robe's pocket trying to grab the small holocron and suddenly her blood ran cold.

"_Blast it! It's not here!?" -_she tried her other pocked but it was also empty. "_How can I forget it!?"_ -she swore in her mind and tried to calm herself instantly afterwards. She couldn't do anything about it now that they had taken off. Letting out a heavy "sigh" she closed her eyes and tried to relax.

It took the shuttle around five minutes until it docked. Meetra unstrapped herself with the Force pulling a few gasps from the marines around her in the process. She looked them confused.

-"Most of the soldiers here haven't seen a jedi using his or her powers before because they are mostly new recruits." -explained the officer passing by her and she saw that he was a sergeant. -"But most of the officers including me have so there won't be much "gasping" and "aweing" in their presence." -he finished with a light laugh and a smile.

Meetra returned the smile and nodded. Then took her backpack and exited the shuttle. Another officer, this time with Major stripes greeted her.

-"Padawan Surik! Always a pleasure of making the acquaintance of a jedi. I am Major Tao-Ni. We are currently on the (3)flagship "Dolros". A star-destroyer class heavy cruiser. If you'd follow me I will introduce you to the Commodore. He is currently on the main bridge." Meetra nodded and followed the major.

During their trip to the bridge she saw many droids doing repairs all over the corridors but almost no crew.

-"Major, forgive me for asking but why aren't more of the crew helping with the repairs?" -she asked the man walking in-front of her.

He answered her without stopping: -"Most of the personnel of this ship is dead. It might not look like it where we are passing trough but the ship suffered quite the heavy damage in out last battle. On the outside is a wreck. The engineers are quite surprised we can even move at the time." -he sighed heavily. -"For once I am grateful that the mandalorians don't waste much time on the engines of our ships!"

-"What do you mean by that? Why is that a good thing?" -she asked confused.

-"Well, they go straight for the kill most of the times. We survived the encounter but if they had damaged our engines more we would be still in the hot-zone or destroyed by another ship before escaping." The padawan remained silent for the rest of their walk.

Her introduction with the commodore was brief and she headed for her designated bunk positioned near the marine quarters right after it.

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The padawan wiped the few drops of sweat from her forehead and after taking a seat on one of the free benches drank a large gulp from her water bottle. Her eyes wandered around the former cafeteria that was transformed in-to a training room. The real one had been blow clean off the ship and the marines were using this one because it was the only one large enough for their purpose. She had been using it also for her exercises for the past two days. Her attention moved slowly between the few present figures. For the whole time she had been on-board the cruiser she hadn't been in a room filled with more than ten people at once except the bridge. Meetra tightened her grip on the bottle and heard the sound of crushing plastic. A few drops of water spilled on her hand. -"_A ship with supposed of five to six thousand crew and i haven't seen more than ten people in a room for two days! How many have died until now!? How many more will die before the Council decides to intervene!?" -_she cursed in her mind unable to control her rising anger. -"_I should have gone with Alek and the rest when "He" offered me to on Dantooine! Training!? How stupid and weak can I be!?"_. Two soldiers entered the room but she didn't recognize them. They fetched some protein bars from the serving droid and occupied a table not far from her. One of them looked her way, she saw that he had ensign stripes on his shoulder, but turned his head away almost instantly after seeing her angered expression. The one turned with his back at her began speaking with his colleague about something. Meetra closed her eyes and tried to calm her nerves.

-"...though we were goners in that ambush on Suurja.!" -she overheard their conversation. The speaker was the one which had gotten intimidated by her.

-"Yea! I still can't believe that the jedi whelps managed to pull our forces out." -responded the other one. -"But I heard that a large group of them were captured in the end!" - Meetra opened her eyes sharply and looked at the two soldiers.

The one turned with his front at her direction had turned white -"Are you serious? Maan I bet the admiral is giving our troops hell right now... "The Revanchists" struck a large blow to the mandalorians and loosing any of them is a serious problem for our forces." -he finished speaking and took a bite from his protein bar.

The padawan stood up and was at the table of the soldiers with two steps. She pulled a chair and seated herself looking at the two now quite startled men.

-"What was that about captured jedi and "Revanchists"!?" -she asked with just a little more force than she had wanted. She saw that the second man had sergeant stripes.

-"Ummmm, you didn't know about that (4)Ma'am?" -asked the sergeant. She gave him a questioning stare. -"Aah, sorry! You wouldn't be asking if you knew of-course!" -he apologised nervously. -"I just thought that.. you know .. you being a jedi and all...!"

-"Well? Would you mind explaining already!?" -she asked with a calmer tone this time and the soldier relaxed a little.

-"Ah! Right! Well... we were on a scouting mission on Suurja. Everything looked alright but we were suddenly attacked by mandalorian forces. Most of our unit was wiped but then a large group of jedi came out of nowhere and helped us retreat. I heard a few days ago that some of them had been captured by the mandalorians. This happened around a month ago i think. That's all I know, Ma'am!" -explained the sergeant.

"_So "He" is finally taking action it seems!" -_the girl's eyes narrowed threateningly -"_Captured jedi and the Masters haven't uttered a word to the rest of us!? And it seems more jedi have joined them against the clans! They keep blocking critical information and for what reason!? Damn them!"_ -the room shook lightly as if the ship was experiencing turbulence.

-"Um..Sir, are you alright?!" -asked the ensign with evident concern in his voice.

Meetra snapped out of her thoughts and relaxed her fist -"Hmm!? Oh, yes, it's nothing! I was just thinking about something! So these "Revanchists"... why are you calling them that way? Is it connected to "The Revanchist" and Alek in some way?"

The soldiers eyes widened in surprise -"You speak about Major Squinquargesimus as if you know him personally?!" -they asked in union.

The padawan was a little surprised by their reaction. -"Well yes! We have trained together at the same enclave and I consider him a friend. While for our mutual colleague I am just lightly acquainted with him."

-"So you have trained not only with the Major but with "The Revanchist Leader" also?"

-",,The Revanchist Leader"!?"

-"Yes, that's what everyone calls the jedi leading the members of your order that have joined with us. Not many of us know his name so we prefer to call him like that. He is quite the enigmatic person." -explained the sergeant.

Meetra's lips twisted in-to a faint smile.

-",,The Revanchists" are what we call the jedi and the soldiers that follow him, Sir!" -said the ensign.

The girl raised an eyebrow. -"So there aren't only jedi following him now but military personnel also? That is very interesting indeed."

-"Yes. Quite a few of our Admirals prefer to analyze data and form strategies only after they have discuss them with him now. Especially after what happened to Serroco." -said the ensign.

The padawan looked at him with a curious expression. -"Serroco? What has happened there?"

The two officers were looking at her with unbelieving expressions. -"Do you really not know!?" -asked the ensign. His tone was a mixture of disbelieve and anger at the same time.

-"The mandalorians nuked the whole planet with more than two thirds of our ground forces still on it a few months ago." -answered her the sergeant and she felt a great deal of pain and sadness pulsating from him.

"_The disturbance in the Force... so that was it! By The Force why aren't they telling us anything!?" -_she mumbled quietly and felt her anger increasing again. Closing her eyes briefly she concentrated in calming herself.

-"What was that Sir?" -asked the sergeant.

-"No... nothing... just thinking out loud. How have they managed to ambush our fleet like that!?" -Meetra was completely stunned from that revelation.

-"We still don't know but they say that ,,Mandalore The Ultimate" led the attack personally." -spat out the ensign with angered voice. -"If you ask me the admiralty got too overconfident after the jedi won us a couple of battles... but I can't blame them even after that. They are decimating us on all fronts for almost two years already. We managed to save some of our planet-side forces because an emergency alert was sent moments before the attack but still..."

She was about to ask more about the events on Serroco but the ship suddenly jumped out of hyperspace and her holocom "beeped". She pulled it out and activated it. The small figure of the nikto commodore appeared on it.

-"Padawan Surik, good day! We have jumped out of lightspeed and are currently above Coruscant. A shuttle is being prepared for you to board it and to take you at the jedi temple. If you don't mind please go pack your things and head at hangar-bay three!" -he said and terminated the connection.

Meetra jumped from her seat and headed for her cabin. She didn't need to pack her things because they were already packed and after grabbing her backpack she headed straight for the hangar.

When she entered the shuttle she saw that the only other passenger was the pilot. The padawan strapped herself in the co-pilot's seat and the shuttle took off.

When the planet came in view Meetra saw a strange circle around it. After a few minutes she saw that it was a circle created by a whole fleet of warships.

-"What is that thing? Why are the ships positioned like that?" -she asked the pilot.

He just shrugged his shoulders: -"I have no idea Ma'am! All i know is that they require indentification codes for every ship going down to the planet or they shoot them."

"_It seems the admiralty has taken defensive measures to a new level!"_ -the padawan continued thinking for the rest of her trip.

**Jedi Temple - Coruscant - two hours later.**

Meetra walked trough the main entrance hall of the temple and headed for the elevators. Kavar had contacted her a while ago telling her to meet him near the training grounds.

The atmosphere around the jedi was different from what she remembered two years ago. If she had to put it in-few words she would say that it was quite heavy. The jedi masters around her had concerned looks on their faces, some even that of frustration if her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. On the other hand there were those that looked like there wasn't even a war outside of the system and that angered her quite a lot. She was forced to conceal her feelings because she didn't want to draw attention to herself. There were also a lot of jedi knights standing in groups all around the place. A strange feeling of a warning arose in the back of her head but she couldn't find it's source.

While walking past the training rooms she saw that the younglings and the padawans were trained mainly by jedi knights and that surprised her quite a lot.

Suddenly someone called her from behind -"Surik!? Is that you Meetra!?" -she turned around and saw a familiar human girl.

-"Ryra!? is that you!?" -the girl standing behind her was one of her closest friends while she was training here. She was one year younger and last time they had seen each other she was still considered an apprentice but now she was wearing the traditional white-brown padawan robes of the order.

The girl's jaw was half opened while she stared at Meetra. -"Wait! Are you really Meetra? How can one change so much in two years!? If you didn't know my name i would say that you were someone else entirely."

-"Apprentice Ryra Dyles.. or should I say congratulations "Padawan" Dyles!?" -said Meetra and a smile appeared on her face.

The other padawan's eyes widened: -"It is you! I am so happy to see you.. but what brings you here!? Last I heard that you were training under Master Kavar. Is that true!? And what happened to you!? You look so differently and even your voice is deeper!" -asked the girl excitedly and closed in to hug her.

Meetra spread her hands to embrace her but Dyles stopped in place with eyes ready to pop-out from their orbits: -"Is that a lightsaber!? You have a lightsaber already?!" -she asked and Surik couldn't hold in her laughter anymore.

-"Yes! I passed my trial a few months ago. It was quite the pain in the ass!" -she answered laughing and hugged her.

-"Can I see it? What color crystal did you find?"

Meetra's face darkened slightly but the other girl didn't notice: -"Well, actually I made mine myself."

-"Oooh, really? I didn't know that was possible." -Ryra was quite surprised.

Meetra detached her lightsaber with the Force and positioned in-front of her friend.

-"It's so beautiful! It's so smooth even though you have engraved it with some strange symbols." -said the younger padawan and threw her a sneaky look -"Somehow I am not surprised at all that the black hilt suits you so well!" -she threw her a once-over at the robes her friend was wearing under the cloak.

-"Hehe... what can I say .. I love black!" -jested the older girl. -"Well Ryra, I'd love to catch up and everything but I am expected by Master Kavar so I should get going. But I'd love to see the company after that if they are still around."

The other girl nodded enthusiastically and Meetra continued her way towards the elevators. She turned suddenly: -"Ah! Do you by any chance know if Atris is here? Have you seen her recently?" -she asked.

The younger padawan shook her head in a declining motion: -"No, I haven't seen her since you two left for Dantooine, but I heard that she is here though."

-"Alright. Thank you and see you later!" -said the ravenhaired girl and activated the elevator...

Meetra found Master Kavar waiting for her in one of the smaller training rooms.

-"Master!" -she greeted him with a respectful bow.

-"Ah, Meetra! It's good to see you again! How was the ride?" -he asked her while waving with his hand towards one of the free chairs in the room.

The padawan took a seat: -"Enlightening! I learned quite a few things."

-"Oh? What did you learn?" -the padawan saw that her master's body tensed slightly.

-"I heard that there are more jedi involved with the conflict than before, and also that a group of them have been captured by the mandalorians. Have there been any actions directed at their rescue taken?"

-"The padawans freed themselves a couple of weeks ago. I heard that your friend Alek has been also among them. We even spoke with The Revanchist about his actions a while ago."

-"He was here!? Asking for the jedi's support I bet! What did the council decide?" -she asked impatiently.

Kavar frowned slightly: -"You seem pretty eager about things concerning the war! The council has decided not to intervene in the war. But we also can't force him and his followers to return because they still aren't taking any official standing with the military."

"_Of-course they will not take an official standing. That way you can't force them to come back and if you do the order will be treated as traitors to the Republic! HA! Good one! He sure knows how to roll the wheel!" -_she tried not to show too much that she was pleased with the news.

-"What about the Taris incident? What exactly has happened there!?" -she decided to change the subject.

-"All we could find out is that the prime suspect - the apprentice Zayne Carrick killed his fellow apprentices at the day of their ceremony to become padawans. We searched for clues and information but couldn't find anything solid."

-"Still... It's quite strange how one apprentice could kill four padawans and escape from four masters after that."

Kavar was lost in thought for a while.

-"Master why did you call for me to come here? Will I be continuing my training here or something?" -the padawan broke the silence.

-"Ah? Oh yeah. For now you will continue training here. Me and some of the council members have been summoned by The Revanchists to go to Cathar. Their leader said he felt a great disturbance in the force coming from the system there. We are currently awaiting his return and will be taking off when he comes." -explained the master.

-"Council members are going with him?" -that was a surprise.

-"Yes. Master Vandar said that he had felt the same disturbance long ago. We haven't investigated it because nothing of importance has reached us until now."

-"Will you be going also Master?"

-"Yes! Master Lamar will also be joining me for this expedition. We are going to take a whole fleet with us because the system is under Mandalorian control."

Meetra remained silent for a few moments pondering on the information: -"Then i will be staying here." -it wasn't a question.

Kavar looked outside of the windows. The padawan followed his gaze and saw a few of miniature dots representing the battleships in orbit.

-"Master. I have been meaning to ask you.. do you know why the fleet is positioned like that?" -she asked.

-"Yes! It's a new kind of planetary defense system. Rear Admiral Karath is actually in charge of it right now."

-"Rear Admiral? So he has been promoted?" -the girl was surprised but also kind of glad that the man was still alive. -"He did seem like one of the 'capable sort'."

Kavar let out a light laugh: -"Indeed. He held a mandalorian fleet for three whole weeks at bay. And when he saw that his fleet was going to be beaten retreated at just the right time saving many of his subordinates lives." -he explained to her: -"After Admiral Veltraa was defeated and killed by Cassus Fett on Vanquo I think he is the only admiral currently that has held the line for so long."

Meetra's thoughts darkened. She had indeed heard that the supreme commander had fallen just before the mandalorians had invaded Taris. The padawan wondered how much longer the Republic could hold it's own against the invaders. For a moment she was about to ask her master why the council is still not taking any cation but at the end decided not to. If he had something to say about the matter he would have already so she kept silent.

Kavar suddenly spoke: -"I have given you access to some of the restricted archives. You can study whatever information you find interesting there during my absence. There are some very useful force techniques also there." her master stood up.

-"Thank you master. I will make certain that my time spent here will not be wasted!" -Meetra bowed lightly. She saw that the sun was setting down on the horizon. She felt a strange coolness again around her but remained calm.

-"Well then.. I have some business to attend to. Good luck with your training Meetra!" -he said and left the room.

Meetra stood up, closed on the window and continued to watch the twilight consumed by an unsettling feeling.

**_\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\_**

1-slavic face- a face structure.(doesnt mean her face is russian or some other slavian race)

2- wiki/Rendaran-class_assault_shuttle

3-flagship is different than capital ship. Flagships are the ships that are used as command centers. Mainly where the leading admiral or officer is positioned at.

4-some soldiers turn at superior female officers that way.


End file.
